Horseracing, the Sport of Kings, is renowned for style and glamour. The Melbourne Cup, Royal Ascot and the Kentucky Derby all attract worldwide attention, but these days there’s a new kid on the block… The Marlborough Racing Club have, for the past two years, encouraged racegoers to up the stakes on the fashion front for The Peter Yealands Wines Marlborough Cup at Waterlea Racecourse, and 2017 will be no exception.
As locals once again prepare for the Bayleys’ Marlborough Fashion in the Field contest and Ultimate Car Boot Picnic we caught up with one of the organisers, Tusha Midgley, who says that attendance on cup day over the last two years has increased as people realise there’s so much more than just the horse racing to entertain, “It’s a great excuse to get dressed up for a fun day out”.
With fantastic prizes up for grabs from the event’s sponsors, it’s worth donning your best bib and tucker, or digging out the family silver to set the perfect picnic place out of your car boot.
The Bayleys Marlborough Fashion in the Field judges stroll through the crowd on race day and shoulder tap those with the sartorial suitability to strut their stuff on the catwalk. There are no rules, high fashion won’t necessarily trump vintage styling, and whilst hats aren’t obligatory, they can certainly be fun to wear.
Car boot picnics are a time-honoured tradition at many race meetings and the recent revival at this event with an all-important competitive element has certainly spurred local creativity. With Tusha affirming that it is all about originality. Last year entries ranged from contemporary installations to old school glamour. The winner made use of a full silver service and added photographs of the judge’s heads to the toothpicks that held the club sandwiches together… Now that’s inspired!
Bayleys’ Marlborough Fashion in the Field contest and the Ultimate Car Boot Picnic take place on Sunday 30th April 2017 at Waterlea Racecourse, we’ll see you there!
