The Weeknd I Was

...horse racing.

Well, watching horse racing. I headed to Randwick Race Course with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday. We started off the day (as all good sunny weekends begin) in a beer garden sipping cider and debating plans for the day. Once we were well and truly in the spirit, we hopped in a taxi and headed to the race course. 

My only experience of horse racing has been Ascot Races in England and it's always a posh affair. Your ticket comes with a guide on fashion rules and boy, are they strict. Fascinators must be a certain width, dresses must be a certain length and cover specific body parts. Don't get me started. Very civilised. However, I had it on good authority that Randwick was a much more casual affair and so we went draped in our favourite maxi dresses and sandals. 

Needless to say, bets were placed and money was won. I was particularly pleased to come home with more money than I arrived with, despite my complete lack of knowledge and understanding of horse racing. (My usual tactic is 'choose the horse with the funniest name' but this weekend I opted to play it safe and pop all my dollar on the favourite. It paid off). 

We stayed until the horses had run their last leg and then headed to another beer garden to pick up an excellent chicken burger and fries at The Norfolk in Surry Hills. All this betting had left us with quite an appetite. 

At just $15 for a ticket to the race course (and if you're anything like me, you might just fund your day with your winnings), it's a cracking way to spend a Saturday. With the sun shining and the horses raring, it's a great excuse to get a little bit dolled up and have a day with a bit of a difference.