Treasurethe Moment wins memorable Crown Oaks

A spectacular Melbourne Cup Carnival continued in style at Flemington Racecourse today as Treasurethe Moment became the 166th winner of the $1 million Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) and sartorial splendour was celebrated with the finals of the Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions On The Field.

Ridden by Damian Lane, Treasurethe Moment became the 39th filly to complete the fillies’ Melbourne Cup Carnival double, taking out the Group 2 HKJC World Pool Wakeful Stakes (2000m) on Penfolds Victoria Derby Day before adding the Crown Oaks today.

Treasurethe Moment gave trainer Matt Laurie his third Group 1 win and his first since 2021 with her length and a quarter win over Powers Of Opal with Hurry Curry in third in front of a huge 50,873 racegoers.

Flemington neighbour The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal was again the Community Partner for Crown Oaks Day, with Lexus Melbourne Cup winning jockey and Melbourne Cup Carnival Ambassador Michelle Payne and 2024 Caulfield Cup winning jockey Harry Coffey leading a Guard of Honour formed by jockeys in Flemington’s Mounting Yard to recognise the bravery of kids who have received life-saving treatment at The Royal Children’s Hospital. $13,500 was raised for the Good Friday Appeal today thanks to Crown Resorts Foundation, who pledged to donate $500 for every one of the 27 jockeys who participated.

The JB Cummings Award, presented to the leading trainer across the four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, is set to be decided on TAB Champions Stakes Day. Calculated on a 3-2-1 points system based on placings across all races, the leaderboard has Ciaron Maher well ahead on 23.5 points ahead of Chris Waller on 13 points and Anthony and Sam Freedman on 12 points.

The jockeys’ equivalent, the Ron Hutchinson Award, is at the mercy of James McDonald. The champion rider has 33 points, 12 ahead of Damian Lane.

McDonald secured riding honours on Crown Oaks Day with a double, wearing the famous Winx silks aboard Amelita to win the Group 3 3AW Red Roses Stakes (1100m) before adding the Listed Channel 9 Chester Manifold Stakes (1600m) on Light Infantry Man.

Off track, the 2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival Fashions on the Field competition reached its crescendo with the Grand Finals of the Best Dressed and Best Suited categories hosted live in The Park in front of hundreds of spectators. 

A world renowned panel of judges including special guest of the VRC, Elizabeth Hurley and her son Damian Hurley, judged Emma Scodellaro the winner in the Best Dressed category and Kalombo Ntumba the winner of the Best Suited category. Emma from Greenvale in Victoria was wearing a white full-length dress by Isable Sanchis and hat by Millinery Jill.  Kalombo from Sydney, New South Wales was wearing a custom-made chartreuse suit and millinery.

The Best Dressed and Best Suited winners each take away over $34,600 in cash and an incredible suite of prizes from VRC partners including Penfolds, Schweppes, Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, TAB and TCL Electronics. 

The world-famous Birdcage Enclosure played host to international model and actor Gemma Ward, businesswoman Rebecca Harding, Crown ambassador Francesca Hung and AFL star Max Gawn and his wife Jessica Gawn at Crown, TV presenter Kate Waterhouse, style influencer Rozalia Russian and model Demi Brereton at Lexus, G.H. Mumm guests included famed chef Shane Delia and social personality Gemma Dimond, AFL superstar Chris Judd for TAB, interior designer and TV personality Shaynna Blaze for Nine plus Victoria Racing Club ambassador and former fashions on the field winner Crystal Kimber-Peters.

Meanwhile, Pin & Win sales continued, with more than $35,000 raised via the sale of souvenir Lexus Melbourne Cup pins today. This year’s campaign is on track to exceed the current record of $548,000 that was set last year. All funds raised via Pin & Win are going to Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria and Tasmania, to allow them to continue to provide free ‘home away from home’ accommodation and support to families with seriously ill children receiving paediatric treatment in hospital. This year’s Pin & Win competition closes at 4pm this Saturday with the winners announced after the last race. The first place winner will drive away in a brand new Lexus RZ 450e Sports Luxury valued at over $148,000.

VRC CEO Kylie Rogers said Crown Oaks Day had something for everyone.

“Crown Oaks Day is a beautiful balance of world class racing, first class fashion and community spirit as we raised funds and awareness for The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

“Treasurethe Moment not only provided us with a thrilling result on the track but gave us all a friendly reminder of what the Melbourne Cup Carnival is all about – celebrating great sporting moments and creating lasting memories.

“The crowd of 50,873 was so supportive of our community partner the Good Friday Appeal, cheering on the kids from the Royal Children’s Hospital as they walked through the guard of honour created by jockeys in the Mounting Yard.

“We’ve now hosted more than 220,000 patrons at Flemington over three days and are all set for a crackerjack final day on Saturday for TAB Champions Stakes Day, which will feature more than 26 individual Group 1 winners across the nine-race card.”

TAB Champions Stakes Day is set to be a fitting finale to the Melbourne Cup Carnival as Australia’s champions of the turf converge on Flemington. A total of 26 Group 1 winners and the winners of more than $140 million in prizemoney will line up across three blockbuster championship races on a mouthwatering nine-race card on Saturday.