Abbie Chatfield slams celebrities attending Melbourne Cup

Abbie Chatfield has slammed celebrities who continue to attend the Melbourne Cup Carnival, revealing she turned down a significant payment to make an appearance.

Abbie Chatfield has slammed celebrities who continue to attend the Melbourne Cup Carnival, revealing she turned down a significant payment to make an appearance at an event.

The 27-year-old took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, calling out the big names who hit the track at Flemington on Saturday for Derby Day.

“Guys, I thought we were done with the races,” the radio host said.

“I thought that wasn’t a thing anymore. Like, why are so many people going to the races? What the hell?”

Chatfield added she’d received “snarky comments” from people asking if she was criticising racegoers purely because she hadn’t been invited.

“I was offered money to go. A lot of money,” she explained, though admitted she didn’t even know what specifically she was offered it for.

“And I said f**k no.”

Abbie Chatfield has slammed celebrities who continue to attend the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Picture: Instagram

‘I thought that wasn’t a thing anymore. Like, why are so many people going to the races?’ Picture: Instagram

Some of the Verbose the Label founder’s 432,000 followers also weren’t aware that celebrities and influencers might get paid to attend.

“I guess it isn’t obvious; I would never have thought that people get paid to go to the races,” she said.

“[But] people get paid. So as a whole, I would say influencers – as far as I’m aware – often aren’t getting paid, which for me is the weirdest part. If you aren’t getting paid, I don’t get why you’re going.

“It’s so random, it’s so weird … It isn’t even fun.”

Chatfield added she couldn’t understand why anyone would go if they ‘aren’t getting paid’. Picture: Supplied/ACRA

The former Bachelor star is one of a growing number of (particularly young) people to condemn the race that stops the nation and its festivities, largely in part due to the issue of animal welfare and the emphasis the event places on gambling.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald earlier this month, Clare Winterbourn – who runs Born Bred Talent, an agency that represents about 250 influencers – revealed that while some of her clients will go to the races as guests or ambassadors of sponsors, “we get it in their contract that they are not photographed there because they won’t want the public association with something that’s controversial”.

“I wouldn’t proactively encourage talent [to go] unless they had that authentic relationship to the sport,” she added.

“It’s one of those topics that, love it or hate it, it’s not going anywhere.”

Punters at VRC Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday. Picture: Jay Town/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Eight horses have died in the last decade from injuries they sustain on the day, but Chair of the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) Neil Wilson said that issues around equine welfare have become a growing focus.

“[The horses] are increasingly looked after to a level that people may not really appreciate,” Mr Wilson said.

“They have vets on hand, they have dentistry work, chiropractic work, and they’re so well prepared.”