Christmas Party 2013

This year our Christmas party was at Thoroughbred Park, overlooking the racecourse.

We started out with pre-dinner drinks followed by a brief sojourn outside so we could wave to Santa who rode around the saddling enclosure, chauffeured by Michael.

Back inside, we sat down to a great dinner and show put on by our own Women in Racing.

The show started with the Three Tenors singing "That's Amore" (ably assisted by Dean Martin obviously off-stage somewhere).  Next on stage were the Supremes singing "Where did our Love Go", "Baby Love", and "Stop in the Name of Love".

For the next number the WiR Orchestra came on stage to support the Supremes singing "Ooh, Baby Baby", and "Love Child".

The Supremes were followed by Sister Jan and her nuns, who sung the hit from Sister Act "I will follow Him" then "Bad Habits" as we got to see what nuns wear under their habits. 

The show finished to the sounds of "Love is in the Air" with the obligatory conga line and far too many maracas and tambourines.

Thanks to all the performers for the great show they put on.

A slideshow of the night is below.  If you can't see it, click here to see the pictures.

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Cooma Cup 2013

I couldn't make the Cooma trip this year, but I gave a camera to Karyn to use to record the day.

I think she did a great job.

If you can't see the slideshow, click here.

Christmas Lights

This year a Canberra house re-captured the world record for the number of Christmas lights, with over 500,000 globes.

To raise extra money for SIDS, Jenny and Manny Notaris volunteered their house for a BBQ.  Their house is directly across the road from the house with all the Christmas lights so after the BBQ we could walk across the road to see the lights.

There were tables and chairs set up on the tennis court, with a garden nearby where the kids could play without disrupting the parents.

It was a great evening that was well-supported in aid of a worthwhile charity.

Our thanks to everyone involved in the organisation.

If you can't see the slideshow, just click here.
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Retina Australia fundraising lunch

Once again many members of Women in Racing attended the charity lunch in aid of Retina Australia.

We had a great 2-course meal, punctuated by trips outside to watch the races.

Some members had a horse running in Canberra, and they were excited to see it run and hopefully win.  Unfortunately, Basilus wasn't up to it on the day so they went home disappointed, but at least they had the fun of seeing their horse run.

One of the races was delayed because they couldn't start the ambulance.  Finally they got it started by jump-starting it from the stewards' car.

There was a charity auction to raise money, with a very spirited bidding competition for some special car number plates promoting Canberra's 100 year anniversary.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable afternoon.  A slideshow is below. If you can't see it, you can see the pictures here.

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Derby Day

We had a great turnout for our Derby Day celebration with over 50 people turning up in their Black and White finery.

The event was held at the Owners' Lounge at Thoroughbred Park racecourse.  It was strange to see the carpark full, but the racetrack dark and seemingly deserted.  But once you got near the Owners Lounge you could hear the excited voices and the popping of champagne corks.

There was champagne on arrival, and then during the afternoon a selection of gourmet foods.   We also had a birthday cake to celebrate Kath's recent birthday.

Several members donated hats to the club for sale at the event, and many of the hats sold at bargain prices.

TV monitors around the room showed the various Melbourne races, with bookies and the TAB onsite for those who thought they could pick some winners.

Below are some pictures from the day.   If the slideshow doesn't appear, you can view the pictures here.

Harden Races 2013

The weather was perfect for our trip to Harden.  It was sunny with a hint of a breeze to keep the heat down.

We left Canberra with plenty of time for a morning tea stop in Binalong, which is about an hour and a half from the racetrack at Harden.

When we arrived at the Harden racecourse we were dropped off right in front of our marquee.  The first order of duty was to erect the official Women in Racing banner at the front.  I suspect that this is so that tipsy women can find the right marquee later in the day.

Women in Racing were asked by the organisers to select people for the various Fashions in the Field competitions.   It took quite a while to find enough suitable candidates - at one point the girls had to visit the outdoor bar in search of men.  Some of the younger ones had to be reminded to not drink too much before the competition and not to turn up with beer cans in their hands.  Philippa took delight in chatting up the attractive middle-aged men to persuade them to enter.

We didn't actually get to pick the winners, which was unfortunate because we probably had more experience at judging than anyone else there.

After a long pleasant day, we climbed back on board the bus and headed home.  We stopped again at Binalong for dinner in the pub, which was very well organised.  It can't be easy to serve up 40 meals at the same time.

Photos from the day are below.  As usual you won't be able to see them on an iPad.

Charity Convertible Drive

At the recent charity lunch for Cerebral Palsy, members of Women in Racing auctioned off trips in their convertibles.  So today both drivers and auction winners assembled for a drive to Tidbinbilla.

It was a perfect day, warm but not hot, sun, blue sky, and a mere hint of a breeze.

The terminus for the drive was Peter and Wanda's house in Duffy.  A more pristine house you could not find;  it was clear that the gardener's must have finished off just before we arrived.   How they arranged for all the azaleas to be in bloom for the day was a mystery also.

We started with a champagne morning tea in front of the house as people began to arrive.  After dispatching the refreshments, people were allocated to the various cars that were lined up in the street.

Roofs were taken off, passengers strapped in, and away they went in a procession down the street.  Just like at Summernats except a lot more ladylike.

The cars hooned off to Tidbinbilla and back with a stop for refreshments.

Back at Duffy, obviously tired from hanging off the sides of the cars, they were met with more glasses of champagne and a delicious lunch provided by WiR members.   We wined and dined all afternoon and finally went home as storm clouds approached - presumably the convertibles had to be garaged in case they got wet.

Pictures of the day are below.

Garden Party

Last weekend we were all invited to a garden party in the style of Downton Abbey. 

Val and Dave graciously provided the garden even though most stayed inside for the afternoon.  I'm sure the fact that all the food and champagne was inside had no influence at all.  And the food!  It was delicious, and it was coming out of our ears by the end of the afternoon, cunningly served in finger-sized portions that made you forget just how much you'd actually eaten.

Everyone stepped up and dressed as close as they could to the style of the popular TV show.  For some, it was probably a chance to open up the old steamer trunk in the attic so they could reuse the clothes they never thought they'd have a chance to wear again  ;-)

Thanks to Phillipa for sending through some photos that she took at the event as well.

Charity Lunch

This year Women In Racing held its annual charity lunch to aid Cerebral Palsy.

The lunch was held at the Hellenic Club in Woden.  It was well attended with about 200 people attending, making it even more popular than last year.  Mike Frame once again was the MC.

Gai Wateringhose made a surprise appearance to talk about horse training techniques.

Special guest speakers this year were 3 owners of Black Caviar who were brought to Canberra for the event by Thoroughbred Park.  They, along with Keith Dryden and Tony Curtis from ACTTAB spoke about what it's like to be an owner of Black Caviar.

Several of our members put on a fashion show, modelled the latest Myer clothing suitable for the fashionable male and female racegoer.

A slideshow of the day is below.

BBQ at Parkwood

At the games afternoon that we ran earlier in the year, most of the prizes were do-in-yourself meals where the people at the winning tables could get together and enjoy a fine meal.

One of the tables won food for a BBQ, but rather than limit it to those at the table, they opened the invitation up to anyone who wanted to come.  The BBQ was held at the Notaras' property at Parkwood - all we had to do was supply our own drinks.  Thank you to Manny and Jenny for hosting us.

It was a cold Winter's day, with patches of rain passing through.  Just as we arrived, the black clouds rolled in and the rain started, but fortunately everything was set up in the shearing shed, including a lovely gas heater.  Progressively a large contingent turned up, and even the sun came out eventually, so the day turned out better than we initially expected.

Everything was laid on, so we didn't have to go outside unless we wanted to.  Even the barbecued meat was brought inside.

Below, there are a few pictures of the day.





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AGM 2013

The Women in Racing AGM is unlike most other AGMs.  It's hard to tell if its a formal meeting or just a fun get-together for 60 or so people who have a party whenever they are in a room together.

Although it was a sunny day, it was cold, and a good day to be inside sipping champagne.

Catherine opened the meeting and gave an overview of how WiR has progressed over the past year.

Mary walked us through the financial statements and explained that in financial terms we were much the same as last year, with profits from some events being used to subsidise other events.

Karyn gave a humorous run-down of the recent trip to Lightning Ridge.  She was allowed to wear Sue's souvenir Opal Queen Contestant for her speech, but I noticed Sue come over later and claim it back just in case someone else "souvenired" it away.

We had a great BBQ lunch, followed by a great presentation by Pat Murphy who spoke about fashions in the past, especially those on the racing scene.  I think it brought back a lot of good memories for some of the members who remembered Canberra of the past. Pat also brought samples of hats, gloves, and handbags from past eras that she had made or used.  There are photos below of various people modelling her hats.

Christine Waring had a hat display set up, and many members got a chance to try out something new in the hat department.


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Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday

We've had a few significant birthdays recently for three of our members.   Coincidentally (?) they all turned up at the Canberra Races last weekend, so we were able to wish them a very Happy Birthday with a cake.

To avoid embarrassing them too much, I won't tell you just how old they really are.  But I'm sure they'll appreciate being told how sprightly they look for their age.

The birthday boys and girl (in decreasing age) were Bob Barlow (now somewhere over 70),  Gerd King (now somewhere over 65), and Jan Palmer (somewhere over 21).

Rosehill Races Trip

Although it was a trip to Rosehill Races, we never made it.  Because of the rain all week, the races were abandoned - but we didn't find out about it until we were underway and about an hour out of Canberra.  Sue might be a great organiser, but she is quite deficient in organising good weather.

We stopped for morning tea at Berrima while we discussed where we should go.  After all, we were all ready for a day out - we just needed to work out where to go.  The rain stopped long enough for a cuppa and cake, but it was still cold and miserable.  But like all Women In Racing events, the company made up for it, and there were lots of smiles in evidence. (click on the photos below to enlarge them)



We noticed the following at the park in Berrima.  No longer are there simple bubblers to drink from - the residents of NSW want filtered water "refill stations".

In the background, it looks like Lee has just remembered that she left the iron on.

Eventually we decided to go to Star Casino, and people could go wherever they liked.

 Some went to the Lyric Theatre to see "War Horse".   Some enjoyed it, others were rumoured to have snored.







Some spent the afternoon watching the races at the Sports Bar and were seen to have been stuffing large denomination notes into their wallets at the end of the day.

And some went into the city, enjoying walking through the pouring rain and fighting for somewhere to sit down.

This weekend was the last time that the monorail was operating, and it was packed out with people riding it for the last time.  I found it was the cheapest and most direct way to get from the casino to the city.

We left Sydney and its rain at about 5pm and headed back to sunny Canberra, pleased to be going home after a long, but enjoyable day out.

Games Afternoon 2013

Just the thing for an Autumn afternoon - wine, women, and games.

We all met at a function room at the Brassey Hotel where we started off with champagne and being bossed around by the Clerkette of the Course.  Guess who.

It was good to see everyone getting into the Wig theme, with lots of very original creations.  It was often difficult to work out who you were talking to as the wigs seemed to disguise people that you've known for years.  And sad to say that some people actually looked better than ever before.

We had a range of competitions, ranging from racing trivia to mathematical challenges and even several rounds of Bingo.  Half way through we stopped for an afternoon tea with scones with jam and cream, and a selection of Danish pastries.

After afternoon tea we were treated to a surprise visit from Gai Wateringhose.  She gave us the lowdown on her recent problem with one of her main customers and how to deal with troublesome owners.

All too soon the day was over, with the victorious table winning the ingredients for a four-course roast dinner to be hosted at one of the winners' houses.   Deanne & Di donated a high tea for second place, and third won the ingredients for a bacon and egg breakfast.

Here is a slideshow of the day.

Stable and Racecourse Tour

This month we went for a tour of Peter Wiggins' stables and the working side of Thoroughbred Park.

It was a beautiful Autumn morning and a perfect time to visit the racecourse - not too hot or cold.  The sun was out, there was no breeze, and no need for warm clothes.  We all met at Peter Wiggins' stables, and after a quick champagne we headed off for a tour of the training facilities whilst breakfast was being cooked.

Firstly we saw the swimming pool, where Peter showed us how the trainers exercise the horses in it.  Then we walked over to the grass track where Peter, who had a previous career as a jockey, explained the features of grass tracks and the differences between different courses, and what jockeys like in a track and what they watch for when they are racing.

Next, we went over to the synthetic track where he explained about the mixture they use and how some horses love it and some hate it.  But overall, it is a very consistent surface for racing on.

Finally, we saw the starting barriers that they use to train the horses on how to jump.  He explained how they get the horses in, and the risks that the barrier attendants take when leading the horse in - because there is nowhere to go if the horse rears up.  He explained how the jockeys have to be ready to leap off the horse if it plays up, and how the barrier attendants get them out if necessary.  He said the barrier attendants are the bravest people on the track.   He also explained about why some horses, like Black Caviar, need to wear a blanket into the starting stall, and how they get it off them at the start.

After that, we went back to the stable for barbecued bacon-and-egg rolls and champagne in the warm sunshine.   Peter then brought out one of his horses that he has started to train and explained about the process of training and selecting horses, and how difficult it is to predict a fast racehorse when it is young.

Port Macquarie

One of the great things about Women In Racing are the friendships you make.  And because of our common interest in racing we bump into one another regularly at race meetings in and around Canberra.  So some of us decided to get together and head off somewhere over Easter looking for some racing and a bit of fun.  Personally, I thought it sounded a lot better than 4 days of housework.

This year it was Port Macquarie.

We seemed to converge at PM from all directions as several people had been on holidays elsewhere, but as Good Friday progressed more a more people turned up.  The word got around that we were meeting up at the local bowling club so we met there and sat between the people watching the football and the people watching the Easter-egg raffle. By the end of the evening we had a table piled high with Easter-eggs.  Fortunately we didn't have far to stagger home as the club was about 5 minutes walk away.

The next morning we headed off to the Port Macquarie races.  We couldn't get up to much mischief before the races because the women needed so much time to get ready.  The track at Port Macquarie was well laid out and modern, and thanks to Sue's preparation we had reserved tables overlooking the track.  If there was one problem with the track it was the airconditioning that only had one setting - freezing.  It seems the downside of the women looking so elegant was the difficulty of keeping warm. At one point Gloria went home and got changed into something warmer.

Another new innovation we saw at the racecourse was champagne served in plastic bottles.  Maybe it was standard at Port Macquarie, or maybe they'd planned for Women in Racing to visit.

Here are a few pictures from the day at the races.


After the races we all met up for dinner in the barbeque area of the apartment complex, overlooking the pool and spa.  Here we cooked up a BBQ feast and watched the sun go down as Willo, Maz, Burl, and Philippa danced around in their Easter bunny outfits.

There was nothing planned for the next day, so everyone did their own thing, typically shopping for the girls and golf for the boys.

That evening we met up for a cruise on the river on a tourist boat that we booked for ourselves.  It was a wonderful evening, with daylight savings giving us daylight on the way out and night on the way back, so we got to see two different aspects of the river.  We cruised up to what had to be millionaires territory, with large houses and expensive boats moored to their private jetties.  There are plenty of photographs in the slideshow below.

Being our last evening, we all seemed to meet up at Sue and Gerd's apartment to continue the party and eat and drink the remaining supplies.  A short flight of stairs from their kitchen took us to a rooftop patio area with a hot spa.   The spa was a hit and it sometimes seemed like a competition to see how many people could get in it.  People were in and out of it all night.  Dawn found a comfortable spot over one air jet and kept inflating her swimsuit so she looked more like Dolly Parton.



All too soon it was time to head back to Canberra, and for the first time it started to drizzle, so we had to contend with rain on the way home.  Below are some pictures of the holiday apartments that we stayed at and the views from our rooms.  We were ideally located, about 5 minutes walk from the beach and bowling club, and 10 minutes walk to the supermarket in the centre of town.

Maybe in the future we can get a trip like this added to the annual programme.

Members' Lunch 2013

This year we had another successful members' lunch at Thoroughbred Park. As you can see from the slideshow below it was very well attended.  We took over Silks restaurant for the day, and we had our own seating overlooking the racetrack.

After being greeted with a glass of champagne, we had time to mix before sitting down to an excellent lunch.

We popped outside regularly to see the races, but returned to the restaurant to enjoy the entertainment.  Unfortunately Mike Frame was sick and couldn't make it as he has in the past, but Manny Notaras stepped up and ran a great phantom racecall, sounding just like a professional racecaller.

We had our own Fashions in the Field competition that was judged by Marie and Rachel, our guests for the day.  We had selected Rachel last year as the Lightning Ridge Opal Queen, and Marie was the runner up that we selected at the Moruya Fashions in the Field earlier this year.

We also got to welcome some new members to Women in Racing - Lynne Lincoln, Anita Phillips, Kelly Walshe, Maile Steele, Nell Jeffery, Toni Logan, and Andy Peyton.
 




After lunch we headed outside to watch the Myer Fashions in the Field on the stage just outside our restaurant.  We waited for over 40 minutes while they set up, and as they did so, the sky got darker and darker.  Just as they were about to start, the rain came down.  In about 30 seconds, everything that they'd spent 40 minutes setting up just seemed to disappear.

Half an hour later I was walking through the Rich Rewards room next to Silks restaurant and I noticed that they'd set up the Fashions in the Field judging there.   So I raced back and got my camera.  Here are some pictures of the event.   It took the judges over half an hour to pick the final ten girls and then another forty minutes to pick the winners.  I'm so glad I didn't have to stand around all that time in ridiculus high-heeled shoes.

The judges ended up picking the girl that I had decided should win, so I was satisfied with the result.

Welcome BBQ

A full-packed weekend started on Saturday evening with a BBQ to welcome the new members to Women in Racing and also to welcome our guests who have travelled to Canberra for the running of the Lightning Ridge Plate.

It was originally planned to have the BBQ down at the lake, but given the bad weather for the previous few days, it was a bit too risky.  So Sue volunteered her house once again.  As one should expect, once everyone arrived, the clouds went away and the sun came out.

We started with drinks on the deck and chatted with old friends and some new ones.  Some renewed acquaintances with Marie who was the runner-up of the Moruya Fashions on the Field and Rachael who was selected by WiR as the Opal Queen in Lightning Ridge last year.  And of course there was Michael and Neroli who are our hosts at Lightning Ridge each year.

A slideshow of the evening is below.

Narooma Cup 2013

As part of its support for racing in South Eastern NSW, Women In Racing provides sponsorship for the Fashions in the Field competition held in conjunction with the Narooma Cup that is run each year at the Moruya track.

Not only do we provide the prizes, valued at about $1,500, but we also have to judge the competition.  So a few of us made a weekend of it, with some coming from Canberra, others from their holiday homes on the coast, and others who were just holidaying near Moruya.

We met up at a motel on the outskirts of Moruya on Sunday afternoon.  The Narooma Cup was run on the Monday, but there was a Calcutta run at Club Narooma on the Sunday evening before, so we travelled the hour or so to Narooma on a bus that was taking folks down from Moruya.  We felt immediately at home because of the champagne and beer that was served on the way.

Before the Calcutta, we had dinner at Lynch's Hotel at Narooma.  A few of you might remember the place like this:

After dinner we walked down the hill to Club Narooma.  Formerly known as the Bowling Club.  This was where the Calcutta for the Narooma Cup took place.  Dave and Les pooled their pocket-money and successfully bid on two horses.

On Monday morning we caught a local coach to the Moruya track.  We were there pretty early, but as the morning progressed a large number of people arrived.   It is the Moruya Jockey Club's biggest day of the year.   The day was pretty warm and humid, but the breeze made it pleasant out of the sun.  Attire, as one expects from a country race meeting, ranged from stubbies and thongs (for the men) to hats and gloves (for the women).  This meant, at least, that no-one felt out of place.

We had a table reserved undercover between the betting ring and the take-away building, and we were served a great lunch of salads, beef, chicken, and prawns. And of course lots of bubbles to drink.  Surprisingly, the TAB caravan that followed us home from the Cooma Cup was parked immediately in front of us - they must have known we were coming.  At least we didn't have to go far to lose our money.

A large slice of our attention was on the Fashions on the Field competition.  Firstly there was a short-listing process at the back of the stands so the judges could narrow down the competitors to 10 each for the children's, men's, and women's competitions.  Following that, the main judging took place later in the afternoon.

Following the judging was the running of the Narooma Cup.  Unfortunately for Les and Dave, their horses didn't win, so the $4000 Calcutta prize eluded them this year.  Maybe next year they'll be luckier.

Pictures from the day are below.  If you are using an iPad then unfortunately you won't be able to see this as the iPad browser seems not to support slideshows in blogs.  I haven't yet found a way around this.