Bumper crowd to attend QE Stakes Day at Randwick
Racegoers flock to the 70th running of the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
More than 17,000 punters are expected to watch the running of the 70th Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick’s Championships day two on Saturday.
Organisers confirm attendance for this year’s Sydney Autumn Carnival has returned to “pre-Covid levels”, with up to 80,000 people expected to have passed through the turnstiles of Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick over the six weeks, finishing next Saturday.
Australian Turf Club official Melinda Madigan said the typical general admission attendee has changed, and women and groups now dominate ticket sales.
“People are getting their friends together and booking as groups, and at the moment about 30-plus per cent of our ticket sales are group buys … and we’re also seeing a positive shift in the number of female ticket holders,” she said.
Ms Madigan says 57-58 per cent of general admission ticket purchasers are female, a 15 per cent increase since last year’s spring carnival.
Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day ambassador Pia Whitesell said dressing up for the races had long been a highlight for Australian women.
“When else are you just out and about wearing a fascinator? It’s a very exciting time to come and see how people put their outfits together,” the actor, 38, said. “I think Sydneysiders are known for their simple, elegant style and I’m excited to see what people wear and how they put their outfits together and how they accessorise.”
Fashion retail sales also reflect the event’s popularity. Ms Madigan says one in three female racegoers will buy a new outfit for a day at the track.
“$16.7m is estimated to be spent this autumn on fashion and grooming,” she said.
“Talking to … people in that industry, particularly milliners, who without racing wouldn’t exist, to be fair, you can’t underestimate that impact we have on milliners, hair salons, fashion designers and all those amazing small businesses who contribute to a day at the races.”
Whitesell, who is based in the US but will attend with talent agent husband Patrick, said racing had been a part of her life since childhood. “I’ve always been so fond of the races and racing carnivals, being a Victorian,” she said. “I love seeing people come together and experience a race day.”
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