New ultra-premium VIP marquee at Adelaide Cup

ADELAIDE Cup organisers hope their new ultra-premium VIP marquee will be the first step towards a Birdcage-style corporate area on the state’s biggest race day.

BACKING A LOCAL: Millie Herd and Nicole Cocks meet Adelaide Cup hope Jim’s Journey in the parade ring at Morphettville. Picture: Nick Clayton

ADELAIDE Cup organisers hope their new ultra-premium VIP marquee will be the first step towards a Birdcage-style corporate area on the state’s biggest race day.

The new Audi Solitaire VIP hospitality enclosure, trackside on the straight at Morphettville racecourse, is billed as the ‘place-to-be’ on Cup Day next Monday, with free-flowing French champagne, top-quality South Australian wines and an exclusive guest list.

Morphettville Racecourse marketing brand manager Luke Schapel said the 180-person ‘champagne garden-themed’ marquee will be on a scale never-before-seen in SA and hopefully lead to a corporate enclosure similar to the popular ‘Birdcage’ at Melbourne’s Flemington racecourse, where a who’s who of Australia come together to enjoy the Melbourne Cup.

“That’s where we’d like to get to but this will be the test. It’s baby steps for us,” Mr Schapel said.

“Our market research shows people want a premium offering at the races ... they deserve the best of the best: the best champagne, the best food, the best fashion. This is the one day that can all come together.

“This will give people a chance to see a new side of Morphettville.”

The guest list includes a mix of business people, sports stars including Crows captain Taylor Walker and his girlfriend, the face of the Cup Ellie Brown, social media influencers, and media personalities. There are also a select few tickets available to buy for $450.

“It’s not often that you have a marquee, Birdcage style, where everyone can have access to and see all those personalities,” Mr Schapel said.

Trackside entertainment enclosure The Starting Gate — which launched in 2015 — will also be revamped, with general admission tickets able to access the pop-up precinct for the first time.

Mr Schapel said he hoped the cheaper, revamped space would lead to a growth in attendance, which nearly reached 13,500 last year.

The precinct will feature six new food and drink vendors — such as McLaren Vale restaurant Pizzateca and espresso martini-wielding The People vs. Coffee — as well as a beauty bar, “grooming services”, a VIP marquee and live music. It will also become the new home of the Myer Fashions on the Field event.