Under sunny skies, Smokin’ Romans joined the honour roll of winners in the TAB Turnbull Stakes including Winx, Verry Elleegant and Incentivise. The six-year-old gelding gave his trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and jockey Ethan Brown their first win in the time-honoured feature.
Earlier in the card Lunar Flare won a golden ticket into the 2022 Lexus Melbourne Cup in The Lexus Bart Cummings (2510m). The seven-year-old mare is a daughter of 2013 Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente and will give her trainer Grahame Begg his first runner in Australia’s most iconic race.
The undercard featured the Group 2 HQ Tavern Danehill Stakes (1100m) won by Giga Kick, giving young trainer Clayton Douglas the biggest win of his short career, and the Group 2 Furphy Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) which went the way of Excelida.
Famous faces at Flemington today included Victoria Racing Club (VRC) ambassadors Gai Waterhouse AO, Emma Booth and Crystal Kimber, Melbourne Cup Carnival Ambassador Christian Wilkins, Network 10’s Melbourne Cup Carnival host Eddie McGuire AM and Pin & Win Ambassador Rachel Watts.
There was family fun on the Flemington Front Lawn while VRC members took some Cup Week inspiration from the Meet the Milliner pop up in The Atrium.
VRC Chief Executive Officer Steve Rosich said TAB Turnbull Stakes Day served as the perfect entrée to the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
“Today was a spectacular preview to Cup Week with beautiful weather and competitive black-type racing at Flemington including a dream result for trainer Grahame Begg, who will have his first Lexus Melbourne Cup runner after Lunar Flare secured a golden ticket,” Mr Rosich said.
“Flemington looked brilliant under sunny skies today and we can’t wait to start the build up to Cup Week as the attention of Melbourne switches to Flemington for the world’s biggest week of racing.”
The next race meeting to be held at Flemington Racecourse will be Penfolds Victoria Derby Day on Saturday 29 October, followed by Lexus Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 1 November, Kennedy Oaks Day on Thursday 3 November and TAB Champions Stakes Day on Saturday 5 November.
Tickets to the Melbourne Cup Carnival can be purchased via www.vrc.com.au
