Melbourne Cup

In 1987, Maree Lyndon was the first female entrant in the Melbourne Cup since its inception in 1861, and in 2015, Michelle Payne won the Melbourne Cup, making her the first woman in the race’s 155-year history to do so.

The Melbourne Cup Carnival kicked off on Saturday with Victoria Derby Day and continues for 7 days, concluding with Stakes Day. The main event, the Melbourne Cup, is on Tuesday, dubbed ‘the race that stops the nation’, so much so that they even created a bank holiday for it. The Carnival is renowned for a unique sense of styles, and each race day has a different dress code and official flower:

Victoria Derby Day – black and white, blue cornflower.

Melbourne Cup Day – bold and bright, yellow rose.

Kennedy Oaks Day (Ladies Day) – florals and pastels, pink rose.

Stakes Day – relaxed, red rose.