AAMI Victoria Derby Day 2009

I got myself a ticket to Derby Day with a few friends last week.

I vowed to reserve for a nice spot to watch the races, so I arrived extra early at Flemington race course (approx 8 am). As you can see, hardly anyone was here, and the venue was clean and quiet. Within a few hours, this place would be packed to the brim with people.

Everything was all setup nicely in preparation for the races.

As the clouds waited for the races to start, they placed their bets, and spent their time merrily eating and drinking.

At the call of the bugle, the horses would be brought out onto the race track.

For the larger races, the jockey and the horse had someone to accompany them to the field.

Horses has been utilised since men first started going to war. As of old times, horses are still very valuable animals, and the races are regrettably our way of exploiting them for our advantage. You can give a horse a million bucks, but he's not going to do anything with it! :s

Its a very tense moment when the public awaits which horse will bag home the trophy for the race. Fortunately, they do not have to wait too long as each race is fairly short.

Sometimes when a horse is good enough, it simply pulls itself away from the pack...

...and victoriously goes past the finish line.

The winning horse is immediately released off its harness and escorted to the venue where its jockey will be receiving a trophy.

Of course, not all on parade is just horses.

AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8G ED VR, AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR, 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S NIKKOR. If you're not drooling, I don't know what else will!

Canon freaks will rejoice with a 400 2.8 L IS

The peaceful beautiful race course is transformed by a sea of people into a large place with heaps of garbage and rowdy drunkards.

Ah well, thats what all races are like, aren't they?

Cheers.