Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Race that stops a nation …

Today, in Victoria (actually in Melbourne), they will run the Melbourne Cup – a 2km horse race. It is billed as “the race that stops a nation”, “yeah, right, for three minutes” added a Tooheys New beer ad on the front of the paper. But stop the nation does, with people gathering around television sets or radios to experience to the race – the sound of galloping hooves, excited punters, and hats – lots of hats. Racing is the perfect venue for milliners to show off their wares – what is a race meet without hats? - hoping the day won’t be so windy that creations are buffeted rather than rippling gently in the occasional zephyr .
Not that everyone is interested in hats, of course, but it occurs now that it gives the “ladies” something to look at – especially if they’re not that keen to following the action on the track. Is this where the fashion aspect of racing comes from? (I think I feel a Google coming on.)

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