SHOP
Ad Guest arrive at Melbourne Cup Carnival Sydney Showcase at Mimi’s in Coogee. Photo - Estaban La Tessa

Magical Melbourne Cup Carnival showcased in Sydney

6 September 2023 Written by VRC

The Victoria Racing Club officially launched Melbourne Cup Week in Sydney tonight, with a star-studded guest list including Count Nikolai of Monpezat, champion trainer Gai Waterhouse AO and actor Daniel Macpherson celebrating at Mimi’s in Coogee.

With Cup Week now just two months away, the VRC gathered a who’s who of racing, entertainment, business and society for the event, hosted by Australian media personality Gorgi Coghlan.

VRC Chairman Neil Wilson said he was delighted to bring the magic of Cup Week to Sydney.

“It is just 60 days until we lift the curtain on the 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival – one of the worlds best weeks of racing and importantly, the next edition of Australia’s original major event. As we count down to Cup Week, we will witness horses having their fitness fine-tuned, see the roses starting to bloom, Birdcage marquees come to life, and outfits assembled as over 250,000 people prepare for Cup Week,” Mr Wilson said.

“More than 35,000 visitors from New South Wales make the journey to Melbourne for Cup Week and we were pleased to bring together prominent racing participants, media and partners to showcase all that makes Cup Week the best racing event in the world.”

Racing royalty in attendance included 2021 Lexus Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Chris Waller and his wife Stephanie, three-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy and wife Cathy McEvoy, Lexus Ambassador and two-time Melbourne Cup winning jockey Corey Brown and wife Kylie Brown, Godolphin’s Head Trainer in Australia James Cummings and wife Monica Cummings, multiple Group 1 winning trainer Annabel Neasham and partner Rob Archibald, multiple Group 1 winning trainer Adrian Bott and wife Jess Bott and Lexus Ambassador and media personality Emma Freedman.

Other guests counting down to Cup Week included VRC Chief Executive Officer Steve Rosich, Lexus Australia Chief Executive Officer John Pappas, News Prestige Editorial Director Edwina McCann, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Tabcorp Adam Rytenskild, Melbourne Cup Carnival Network 10 host Eddie McGuire AM, Network 10 host Angela Bishop OAM, television presenter Richard Wilkins AM, social identities Phoebe Burgess, Anna Heinrich and Tim Robards, Australian television presenters Francesca Hung and Lucia Hawley, presenter and social personality Phoebe Burgess, singer Jaime Robbie Reyne and model partner Sarah Stephens, artist and social personality Sarah Ellen.

Milliners Chantelle Ford of Ford Millinery, Viktoria Novak and Ann Shoebridge also joined in the celebrations, alongside models showcasing the latest spring racing looks fit for Flemington.

The 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival commences with Penfolds Victoria Derby Day on Saturday 4 November, followed by Lexus Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 7 November, Kennedy Oaks Day on Thursday 9 November and TAB Champions Stakes Day on Saturday 11 November.