The brightness of yellow on a sunny race day was the winner for the 2024 Fashions on the Field.
Thoroughbred Park hosted Canberra’s race day on Tuesday 5 November, aligning with Australia’s biggest racing event—the Melbourne Cup, as well as the Big Dance Race Day in Sydney. The event featured local races alongside the nation’s most celebrated horse race.
And of course, you can’t have a race day without putting a focus on the fashion of the punters.
All categories in the 2024 Fashions on the Field were non-gendered, with nine entries in the best suited and 20 in the best dressed. There was also a millinery prize on offer.
Best Dressed winner Amy Woods, from Bowral, NSW, wore a light-coloured Portmans top under a floral print dress from Myer. She accessorised this combination with a pair of plae blue gloves, a pearl bracelet, a blue bag with a short pearl handle from TK Maxx, and white pointy shoes with ankle straps from Novo.
Ms Woods said she wanted to incorporate spring fashion into her outfit.
“I know that yellow is very in at the moment,” she said.
“I wanted to add a little bit of uniqueness at the top and then the dress as well as with the heels.”
The runner-up in this category was Zara Castellaz-Faico.
The Best Suited recipient was Jason Crockett from Nowra, NSW.
“It’s great, especially because in the best suited competition you’re competing against the ladies, and the ladies always look incredible in suits,” Mr Crockett said.
He wore a white crochet top over a fitted shirt and blazer, with a matching tie and pocket square, a blue hat from Lack of Colour, blue pants, sunglasses, a yellow flower brooch and brown shoes from Ferracini. He purchased bits and pieces of the outfit from online fashion retailer ASOS and Valentino’s for Men in Nowra.
“Most of the time I see the ladies wear the crochet dresses and they look amazing, and I thought, how can I incorporate crochet in my suit?” Mr Crockett said.
“I ended up doing this shirt and fixed it to the blazer.
“The Melbourne Cup, it’s the most celebrated horse race day of the year, and I always love getting dressed up,” he said.
“When else do you get the chance to get dressed up?”
The runner-up in this category was Rebecca Skinner in a lemon and black ensemble.
The millinery honour went to Alison Jones.
Fashions on the Field judge and B’s Beauty and Lashes owner and manager, Brittney Croker, said some of the outfits incorporated the Melbourne Cup yellow flower.
The yellow rose stands as an emblematic symbol of the Lexus Melbourne Cup, a statement on the Victoria Racing Club website said.
Radio presenter Nick Rysk, who was also on the judging panel, said hosting races in the ACT alongside the Melbourne Cup gave up-and-coming Canberra jockeys the opportunity to race.
