Punters were left bewildered on Saturday after they faced long waits to enter Flemington – up to 30 minutes – only to encounter huge queues for drinks and food once inside. It’s a situation caused by a big spike in crowd numbers, the Victoria Racing Club told Betsy.
The VRC said attendance was up an impressive 45 per cent on the back of a ripping day of racing, not to mention unseasonably nice weather, a bustling Melbourne on the back of the NFL success and no AFL in town.
But anyone wanting to get into the races faced waits of up to 30 minutes to just enter the course. For a non-Cup Carnival race day, it clearly caught punters by surprise.
And it didn’t matter what walk of life you came from – spotted waiting patiently in the throng was the Racing Minister himself, Anthony Carbines.
Once punters were inside, it didn’t get much better. Overworked staff clearly struggled with the 13,000 crowd.
Betsy is told that waits for food and drinks exceeded 30 minutes, some complaining they missed races while waiting. The club said their bars ”experienced strong demand, particularly for Carlton Draught following our new partnership with Asahi Beverages”.
Not to be cynical, but if punters aren’t demanding a cold beer on a sunny day at the races, they never will.
‘’I faced the prospect of losing my spot in line or leaving to inevitably watching my bet lose,’’ one member told Betsy.
There were reports of some bars running out of beer [not true the club has told us] and ice.
We’re not in the business of being critical of clubs on big days – we’re a proud member ourselves – but the volume of feedback to Betsy alone was significant.
The VRC also apologised in April to its members after punters faced long delays – in some cases close to 50 minutes – for food and drinks on Anzac Day following larger than expected crowds.
The club, in a statement, said they would review operations ahead of Turnbull Stakes Day.
‘’Momentum leading into the 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival continues to build, with another strong crowd at Flemington for Crown Makybe Diva Stakes Day, which saw attendance increase by 45 per cent year-on-year,’’ a spokesperson said.
‘’While the larger than anticipated crowd led to longer wait times during peak periods, we acknowledge that some patrons experienced delays and appreciate their patience.
‘’Unfortunately, a tapping issue in The Forum impacted beer service. All other bars were unaffected and experienced strong demand, particularly for Carlton Draught following our new partnership with Asahi Beverages.
‘’We look forward to welcoming members and guests back to Flemington for TAB Turnbull Stakes Day, and we continue to review our operations to deliver the high standard of service patrons expect at Flemington.’’
Drink responsibly
Which gets us thinking, what is the responsible price for a schooner at Melbourne races these days?
In racing, it depends on where you’re at – and in some cases, willing to pay.
A schooner of Carlton Draught at Flemington is $15 – but for members, it’s only $11.
Over at Caulfield, the legacy of former MRC chairman John Kanga lives on, who dropped the price of a schooner to $8.50.
Over at Southside racing who take care of Cranbourne and Pakenham, it’s $10 for a schooner and $9 for a can of Canadian Club, which we assume only the desperate drink.
Call me simple, but I reckon if you want to get punters through the gate, the price of booze would definitely be a factor. As would free entry.
They were always coming back for the Cup
Who would have thought decent prize money and the chance to win a time-honoured race would win out.
Remember when elements of the international training contingent swore they’d never come back to compete in the Melbourne Cup?
It all came down to the now widely accepted vet protocols that would see every horse undertake scans to ensure they were safe and sound to compete.
Some were angry the new rules were an attack on them, or at least, because of them. They are half right.
A number of international trainers said privately that they wouldn’t risk the time and money to send a runner when it could fail a scan?
Administrators, meanwhile, privately expressed their views that some international trainers simply did not care enough if their runner wasn’t sound, nor did they comprehend the damage they were doing if one of their horses broke down.
There was serious communication issues too between Racing Victoria and some of these trainers.
Fact is though, it was the international contingent that kept dying.
It was the death of Anthony Van Dyck that was the last straw, trained by Aidan O’Brien.
Such was the seriousness of it all, Racing Victoria were seriously concerned the race could lose the backing of the state government. There were even panic that the sport’s funding in part might be impacted unless there was action. All cards were on the table.
The rest is history since the changes were made. Not a single death since, nor have we seen the lofty international presence, which more than a few locals are more than happy with.
And on the back of some hard work from Racing Victoria, the internationals could be set for a huge Cup in 2026.
Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son, told the Racing Post that he could have ten runners. A terrific result for the race, if somewhat a pipe dream.
From those who spoke to Betsy, there is now a view overseas the Melbourne Cup is worthy of discussion again. Improved communication from Australia, more help to navigate the process and the $10 million prize pool have made it attractive again.
While the Melbourne Cup stories of the McEvoys, Jamie Melham plus Robbie Dolan have been great for racing of late, international participation is crucial to the race’s future.
What would racing do with $50 million?
Racing Victoria boss Aaron Morrison recently revealed to Betsy that if the Melbourne club’s merged, the industry would save up to $50 million a year.
Fair to say it’s got the right people talking.
Suddenly, powerful participant groups are asking the question – what are we waiting for?
The move has the strong support of the state government and there will likely be increasing pressure on the clubs to move post the spring carnival.
Morrison has been at pains to tell people that the money wouldn’t be Racing Victoria’s to keep – it would go back to those in the industry. Prize money would also get an important kick.
The losers? Well, there would be less club boards and likely job losses.
Regardless, Morrison now has the attention of those who matter, and ideas are being proactively floated around.
Our spies spotted a number of racing heavy hitters deep in conversation at different times across Saturday at HQ, and we’re told it had nothing to do with the heroics of Sheza Alibi.
Nothing moves quickly in racing, but it could be a fascinating six or so months ahead
Please don’t leave
Which organisation is battling a staff exodus?
Coffey breaks a sweat
One of racing’s nice guys, Harry Coffey, took time from his busy riding schedule to help raise more than $35,000 for cystic fibrosis.
Coffey was diagnosed with cystic fibroses at a young age, but has forged a successful riding career regardless.
And racing dug deep to help out, with the fundraiser including a fun-run on the day.
The Sale Turf Club alone donated $10,000, while Racing Victoria CEO Aaron Morison donated on the day on behalf of his organisation.
@RacingVictoria CEO Aaron Morrison is helping raise funds and awareness to fight cystic fibrosis 💪
Thanks to everyone who has donated so far!
DONATE: https://t.co/jHvUAOBGgo pic.twitter.com/01YvCPoRVe
— Country Racing (@Country_Racing) September 13, 2026
Coffey’s close mate John Kanga also raised a four-figure sum, a media release said.
The fundraiser is still accepting donations here
