Saturday, 15th October 2011 - BMW Caulfield Cup Day

A bright morning for a big day ahead at the 2011 BMW Caulfield Cup…

Robert picked me up at 8:30am this morning which was surprisingly the latest start for me over the Carnival! As we drove to Caulfield I revised my running sheets for the day including the prerace BMW Caulfield Cup ceremony. Robert dropped me at the members’ entrance gate and as I walked toward administration for styling, I felt as though a full day’s work had already been complete by many around. There was such a buzz about the grounds! Food and beverage staff were being briefed to my right and security were being directed to my left. The Aquanita Bar was being prepared and the betting ring was having its final clean. Television network staff were rushing around with equipment and the fashion and entertainment stage flowers were being put in place. You could just feel the excitement of what was to come and it was at this moment I dropped my focus and smiled, I knew today was going to be very close to my heart.

Bernie, Virginia and Pina cast the beauty spell over me for the last time at Caulfield. With a vibrant burnt red Marc Jacobs dress from David Jones at Chadstone, a Morgan & Taylor headpiece, my sweet Mimco shoes and the most exquisite string of Catanach Pearls, these three wonderful ladies had created elegance.  As I said goodbye to Bernie, Pina and Virginia it became even more real that today was the grand finale of Caulfield.

My first official duty for the day was to judge three heats at the Chadstone Fashion Stakes. Again the fashion was sensational, challenging the judges to select the top three from each heat. I darted back to the Champagne Pommery Pegasus Club Marquee for a quick bite to eat before judging a further heat at the Fashion and Entertainment precinct. Before I knew it the moment had come for Giaan and me to make our way to the mounting yard for the presentation of the BMW Caulfield Cup to the crowd and Australia. But as one could only expect I guess when you are due to feature on national television, I wore a full glass of sparking generously provided by a delightful young racegoer.  Oh what to do?! Such an unforseen event prompted a quick detour to the Caulfield Committee room with the ladies room hand dryers to the rescue! I am so thankful to Giaan and the ladies in the committee room for their help – complete crisis moment! Thankfully the sparkling came out of the fabric completely and we continued on our merry way to the mounting yard.

The wind picked up as we stood in the mounting yard and Gai Waterhouse joined us for the ceremony. I stood and held the BMW Caulfield Cup whilst Giaan spoke to Gai of her victory last year and the race to come. I looked across the sea of people and my, what a sight! The irony was that this was one of the biggest moments of my life and I had a beautiful inner calmness which allowed me to absorb every waking minute. Photographers were snapping constantly and the cameras panned to Giaan and Gai. I picked up the BMW Caulfield Cup from the plinth and Gai and I walked through the guard of honour, across the mounting yard to Melbourne Racing Club Chairman, Mike Symons. If holding the BMW Caulfield Cup before the race itself wasn’t enough, to do so in the company of one of the greatest Australian female trainers of all time, I was humbled.  Mike took the Cup, the jockeys were presented to the crowd and we all stood as one to sing the National Anthem.

I sat and watched Craig Williams ride Southern Speed to victory, a horse for which I had drawn the barrier for only three days prior. Was it an omen perhaps? I guess one will never know…

The Chadstone Fashion Stakes concluded with the gorgeous Annaliese Cordell taking out the top prize for the Stylish Ladies (18-40 years) in her Christian Louboutin heels.

I finished the day in the Champagne Pommery Pegasus Club Marquee with friends and family for drinks and nibbles to celebrate what was truly a once in a lifetime whirlwind of events.

I want to thank you all for following my adventure and those who made this dream of mine come true. Hopefully I will see some of you at Betfair Park on the 12th of November for the Betfair Sandown Guineas Day.

Signing out,

Bree.

Wednesday, 12th October 2011 - Trackside Fashion Luncheon 

Trackside today at the Schweppes Thousand Guineas Day, and what a day it was...

Arriving at Caulfield there was a great feel about the day to come. Staff and crew were all praying for the rain to hold off as they added finishing touches to the peaceful surrounds. Today promised to be a busy with the annual Member's Trackside Fashion Luncheon in the beautiful trackside marquee. I wandered over to the exclusive Heath Enclosure at Caulfield for makeup, hair and styling. With two fashion parades today at the Luncheon, the Caulfield Classic Style Award and the Perri Cutten Spring Summer collection, there was a great deal of work to be done! For me, Virginia had selected a gorgeous steel blue Perri Cutten skirt and top with dainty white poker dots all over. The silk top was high at the neck with a side tie and the skirt had layers off soft silk that moved beautifully as you walked. An edgy powder blue gentlemen's hat, Mimco shoes and stunning Catanach’s Jewels complimented the look perfectly. 

Once my look was complete, it was off to the BMW Caulfield Cup Barrier Draw at the fashion and entertainment precinct. I was lucky enough to be involved in the event drawing barriers for Southern Speed, Precedence and Anudjawun. While waiting for the barrier draw to commence, Taegan, Bill and I worked on piecing our final webisode together.

Following the draw we ventured back to the Trackside Marquee to commence the formal proceedings of the luncheon. Clint Stanaway and Giaan Rooney hosted the event and what a wonderful afternoon we had. The Final of the Caulfield Classic Style Award took place will the winner, Black Rose, taking home $25,000! Perri Cutten were awarded second place overall and Nicholas was selected as the People's Choice. Following all of this excitement, the Perri Cutten spring/summer collection strided down the catwalk. Beautiful reds, whites and sunflower yellows dominating the collection. What I loved particularly in this parade was the classic tailoring in the summer jackets from Perri Cutten this year, very feminine.

The luncheon formalities concluded at around 2:30pm and Taegs, Bill and I had a wrap on our final webisode! Guests were also able to relax into the afternoon with the sun shining. Some spectacular racing finished off the day as Atlantic Jewel from the Mark Kavanagh stable took out the Schweppes Thousand Guineas for 2011.

If you're looking for a sophisticated midweek raceday to enjoy, the Schweppes Thousand Guineas Day is certainly for you. 

Sunday, 9th October 2011 - The Age Caulfield Guineas Day 

After a wonderful luncheon on Friday at Zinc in Federation Square I thought to myself, can this role be any more fun? Well, after The Age Caulfield Guineas Day for 2011 the answer certainly is, yes!

Waking up on Saturday morning I bounced out of bed to get organised and sat on the front step for pickup ten minutes early. I couldn’t get to Caulfield fast enough, as The Age Caulfield Guineas Day was an event I had been looking forward to for many weeks. Chauffeur Greg picked me up exactly on time to head to the track. At Caulfield Bern was awaiting her canvas with paint brushes in hand and, with a tight schedule, we launched into beautifying mode. In the meantime Rokk Ebony’s creative genius, Pina, also arrived and after Bern had turned my face from rags to riches so to speak, Pina made a start with my hair. With a 1950’s inspired styling for the day, Pina managed to create the illusion that I had a bob! I loved it!  With a few finishing touches I stepped into Virginia’s wonderful world of styling! Previously discussed, we had selected a gorgeous tutti frutti Gorman dress and complimentary cropped jacket. This was paired with stunning red Mimco accessories and a lovely coral red pillbox hat by Milliner, Fiona Powell. To complete the look I had the privilege of wearing the most dazzling diamond necklace and earring from Catanach’s Jewellers – exquisite.

With the gates opening at 9.30am and race 1 at 11:30am before I knew it racegoers were pouring into Caulfield racecourse. The Chadstone Fashion Stakes commenced and I provided some assistance by judging the first three heats of the day. The fashions rose to another level with the finals of the Stylish Gentlemen and Stylish Ladies (40+). The deserved winners in both of these categories were dressed beautifully and epitomised classic style. All finalists should be commended as the competition was clearly very close. The Stylish Ladies (18-40) was hotly contested with the final at Saturday’s BMW Caulfield Cup not to be missed. Although colour is the flavour of the season, the timeless black and white combination proved also popular. Advancing to the final for the Stylish Ladies (18-40) were all very different looks and drawn from different genres so I am excited to see who will ultimately be awarded the top prize at Saturday’s final.

The racing at The Caulfield Guineas Day was nothing less than spectacular with Black Caviar creating history and putting to rest the hope that was held within many passionate racegoers.

As the rain held off and the champagne flowed Sneaky Sound System pumped out an amazing set to finish off what was truly a once in a lifetime day of racing and fashion.

Bring on Schweppes Thousand Guineas Day!

Friday, 7th October 2011 - The Age Ladies Luncheon

Today was The Age Caulfield Ladies Luncheon for 2011 at the very chic Zinc in Federation Square.

We started the morning at 8am. A very prompt Greg picked me up and delivered me to Caulfield for styling. The day prior, Virginia had selected a little number for me to wear and we were all set! Fairy godmother Bern was finishing off Giaan's makeup as I arrived so it was nice to just sit a have some idle chit chat to start the day. Giaan then headed trackside for a photo shoot and Bern started to wave her curling wand on me! Today it was decided to go for a glamorous Bree and what a wonderful job Bern did. With soft pink tones in my makeup and my hair in an elegant bun, I headed to Federation Square.

The lunch was sensational! Hosted by Giaan Rooney and Tony Jones. The guests were so immaculately dressed and many of my friends and family came along. Janice Breen Burns delivered a presentation on Racing Fashion through the Ages, a highlight of the day for me personally. Chadstone also provided an entertaining fashion parade with a diverse array of bold and colourful pieces. Our racing panel, including accomplished jockeys Michelle Payne and Corey Brown, as well as Black Caviar part owner, Jill Taylor and Racing Manager at Moody Racing, Jeff O'Connor discussed the hype surrounding tomorrow's The Age Caulfield Guineas Day. Jill spoke of the much-anticipated Schweppes Schillaci Stakes in which Black Caviar will attempt to make racing history with 14 wins from as many starts to equal the record set by none other than the legendary Phar Lap.

The candy bar on the day was also certainly a hit for which I was too slow to indulge but James Reyne's performance compensated for my misfortune! 

Looking forward I have many expectations for The Age Caulfield Guineas Day tomorrow and truly believe the atmosphere will be electric! I wish all those riding and racing the best of luck particularly Moody Racing – I hope your beautiful mare can make all our dreams come true...

Sunday, 18th September 2011

Saturday was the opener of the 2011 BMW Caulfield Cup Carnival with Carnival Preview Day. 

My ever reliable driver Robert picked me up at exactly 8am and we headed to the track. I have been so excited about Carnival kick off I couldn't believe it had come so soon! We arrived within our scheduled time and Christine and Rokk Ebony's Pina started to work their magic with my hair and makeup! As we commenced, Super Stylist Virgina arrived with her bags full of goodies! I love it when Virginia walks in with all of the garments and accessories and she reveals the array. It was incredibly difficult to make a decision this morning as we had many lovely items to choose from! Selected was a fun pink Alannah Hill dress and fascinator with gorgeous colourful discs individually stitched all over the dress. My Mimco accessories from the recent wilderness range added a further element of freshness with delicate flower detail. 

All set, I was off and racing! First stop was shooting for the MRC webisodes. Feeling rather nervous we started shooting and as I become more comfortable in front of the camera we had some fun with this! I met some excited racegoers arriving at Caulfield for a day out at the races; I also interviewed Ben Melham (jockey), Cameron Cooke (owner) and Clinton MacDonald (trainer) all of whom provided a great insight into their part of the racing world. Whilst I had been busy filming the webisodes, Giaan Rooney was also keeping very busy shooting for an episode of Postcards. It was a terrific experience for me to watch and also be involved in the filming of Postcards. It has always been a dream of mine to work with a national television network. 

After a brief story on the stunning Caulfield Pin and Win hat with milliners and creators of the gorgeous hat, Peter Jago, Melissa Jackson and Annette Sanfilippo, I headed upstairs to the Caulfield Committee Room for a quick bite and light refreshments.

Following the quick refuel Giaan and I, with the Channel Nine team, jetted down to the mounting yard for the parade of the superstar, Black Caviar. Although she wouldn't pose in a photo with Giaan it wasn't hard to see what an amazing animal she really is. After experiencing what enormous presence she has I now feel that I have a greater appreciation for a horse that is certainly history in the making.

Shortly after the parade it was time to get down to the business end of fashion! The Chadstone Fashion Stakes began with the Stylish ladies (40+ years) heat. With strong colour and some very classic lines the three selected to go through to the final on The Age Caulfield Guineas Day wore a lemon skirt suit, a deep rose red skirt suit and a lovely duel purple dress. The millinery teamed with the purple dress had a beautiful "my fair lady" elegance about it and really completed this ensemble.  Following the Stylish Ladies (40+ years) were the Chadstone Fashion Stakes Stylish Gentlemen. Many managed to fit the bill with the three gentlemen selected looking particularly suave! With millinery a must, the three gentlemen advancing to the final all had a very unique interpretation of racing fashion. What I did enjoy about this section was the diversity in colour with a white, grey and black suits going through to the final on The Age Caulfield Guineas Day! I imagine it difficult at times for gentlemen to achieve a different look as initial thoughts with having to wear a suit could be quite restrictive. These three gentlemen however, certainly proved there are plenty of options for the male racegoer when it comes to colour and style.

The final section of the Chadstone Fashion Stakes, the Stylish Ladies 18-40, far exceeded my expectations on the day and too, many Chadstone Fashion Stakes onlookers. The sea of vibrant colour was breathtaking. I personally found it very challenging to pick a top three as the standard was so incredibly high! Those who advanced to the Daily Final on BMW Caulfield Cup Day all wore block colour. The first of the three ladies announced, Annaliee Cordell, wore a strong apple red peplum dress. The millinery and shoes rounded this outfit perfectly by incorporating a lovely ink blue. My favourite part of this particular judges’ selection was its class and the cut of the garment which provided Annaliee a wonderful silhouette. The second lady selected, Mildred Ellwood, wore a persimmon orange dress jacket combination with the most exquisite millinery by the Hat Box! The crown of the hat was a Fuchsia pink with the wide oblong shaped brim covered in strips of fluorescent colour and intricate patterns. This was by far my favourite piece of millinery on the day. The final fashionista announced as one of the top three ladies on Carnival Preview Day, Brooke Walker, wore a beautiful white dress with a soft draping overlay. Teamed with a delicate red this collation had a lovely vintage feel and really accentuated Brooke’s natural beauty.

With the Chadstone Fashion Stakes coming to a close the Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes was run and won. Unfortunately I didn’t move quickly enough to make it across to the track to watch the race live so I sat and listened to Michael Rodd ride a magnificent race on the back of Lion Tamer breaking away to defeat Dan Nikolic on Southern Speed in the final 100m.

As the day concluded I am admittedly very sad it is all over. If Saturday was an indication of racing and fashion to come during Caulfield’s “Cup” week, it is going to be one electric BMW Caulfield Cup Carnival!

Friday, 16th September 2011

Today was the Racing Victoria Spring Racing Carnival Official Opening! It is here! As they say, 50 days that will amaze!

Held at the luxurious Zinc at Federation Square, Minister of Racing, Denis Napthine officially launched the Spring Racing Carnival for 2011 with bursts of colour, literally! Paper confetti and stunning floral arrangements in abundance.

Super Stylist Virginia selected a Gorman number for me with an ink blue and fuchsia pink combination. The dress was complimented by an elegant Julie Fleming headpiece with a rose detail. Topped off with Mimco accessories - the ensemble quaintly said "Caulfield Classic Style all the way". All dressed up, I ventured to Zinc... and venture I did for a moment as it took a little bit of tottering to find!

Both racing and fashion were wonderfully represented including champion Jockey Glen Boss and experienced Trainer Mark Kavanagh.   The entire event was an enormous success!

With the launch concluded I headed to Rokk Ebony Hair in preparation for tomorrow. Yes - tomorrow is  the BMW Caulfield Cup Carnival Opener, Carnival Preview Day... One more sleep!

Wednesday, 14th September 2011

A rather early start this morning but I reminded myself that a large majority of the racing fraternity have already completed a day’s work… perhaps every other day has been a sleep in to date?!

This morning I attended the Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes Barrier Draw and Sports Breakfast.  Held in the Members Dining Room at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, guests were entertained by the live Radio Sports National Broadcast of Prime Time Sports Interactive and Racing Ahead.

With my day commencing around 4:30am this morning I headed to Prahran for hair, makeup and styling. Awaiting my arrival was the makeup artist, and new fairy godmother, Bernie and Style Counsel’s Agent Camilla. Stylist Virginia had selected a gorgeous Orange Gorman dress with bright purple spots to wear to the event - I absolutely loved it. We battled to find a coffee at that hour of the morning but we pulled it all together nicely and headed to the MCG!

Michael Christian and Tony Jones lead the charge with an always-entertaining program. I was lucky enough to be a guest for a small segment and we largely discussed the Chadstone Fashion Stakes commencing this weekend at Carnival Preview Day!

Michael Rodd, Mick Price and Greg Miles were also guests on the show. It was interesting listening to Mick Price speaking of how the Underwood really is anyone’s race to win this year without such a dominant force like ‘So You Think’ of last year.

With the conclusion of breakfast it was time to launch into the serious end of the morning… The Draw. As Terry Bailey drew a ball with the official racing number of starters from the barrel, I then selected a Hyland Pork Pie Hat, which underneath revealed the barrier number. In my mind I was sending as many positive vibes to my hand as humanly possible to draw great barriers for Heart of Dreams and Lights of Heaven, both of which are my favourites to win.  Barrier 3 and Barrier 14 – apologies to Peter Moody – my hand must have only received half of the subliminal message!

Looking ahead now to the Official Launch of the Spring Carnival on Friday followed by the opening Carnival Preview Day at Caulfield! With the first heats of the Chadstone Fashion Stakes, a fine forecast and free entry to all patrons on the day… let Caulfield racing ( for both horses and fashionistas) begin!

A Gala to remember - 1 September 2011

The 2011 BMW Caulfield Cup Gala Launch last night was certainly a night to remember.  The evening was filled with enormous excitement, entertainment and fun!  The fashion on both the catwalk, in the Caulfield Classic Style Award, and on attending guests was nothing short of stunning. Colour, colour and more colour was an obvious theme throughout the evening!
 
Waking up this morning I still could not believe I was awarded the 2011 Face of Caulfield! I feel incredibly lucky, as both Maggie and Katie would have also been a perfect fit for the role.  I am truly looking forward to working alongside Giaan Rooney throughout Caulfield's spring racing carnival this season. I cannot wait to see the creativity in the fashion stakes and the performances of those worthy to set foot (or hoof) on the great Caulfield racecourse.