The 2020 Summer Racing Season offered racegoers colourful fashion, high-octane thoroughbred racing and refined hospitality. We take a look at all the best dressed from the summer racing season.
Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup Day
When: 9 March 2020
The Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup Day today closed out Auckland Cup Week with a bang. The Style Stakes competition saw the best dressed on-course paired with a runner in the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes. The top 10 were selected by Auckland Racing Club Ambassador Hannah Marinkovich.
Vodafone Derby Day
When: 2 March 2020
Best Dressed: Katie O’Neill and Matt Anderson
Auckland Racing Week started with the Vodafone Derby Day, which featured the $1 million Group 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby and the national fashions in the field final — The Ned Prix de Fashion.
Love was in the air, too! Hollie McIntyre, who was diagnosed with stage four terminal breast cancer late last year, popped the question to her partner Andrew Welsh. McIntyre won a $2400 engagement ring from Ellerslie Jewellers, as well as room hire at Ellerslie Event Centre, 200,000 Hawaiian Airlines air miles and three nights’ accommodation at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, a Trish Peng Bridal wedding dress, 10 cases of Lindauer Vintage and $5,000 towards the catering from Barfoot & Thompson.
The New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Million
When: January 26
The New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Million drew a glamorous crowd from all over the world, with some of the world’s richest horse owners in attendance. The event saw a record crowd from far and wide descend on the course to soak up the evening’s six races, spurred on by the chants and cheers of the 400+ strong Boys Get Paid group who had formed the country’s largest-ever punters club.
Heralded as one of the best parties of summer, it truly is an example of how racing is the sport of kings with the glitterati of the international racing world descending into Auckland to rub shoulders with the who’s who of Auckland’s social scene at Ellerslie.
Fashion in the Fields
When: 26 December 2019
Best Dressed: Ryan Dodson and Ciara Britton
One of the most popular race days on the calendar, the SkyCity Boxing Day Races saw racegoers decked in colourful fashion and fascinators while they enjoyed high-octane thoroughbred racing, refined hospitality as well as fun, free family entertainment.
Winners of this year’s Hawaiian Airlines Fashions in the Field Best Dressed Woman and Man were Ciara Britton and Ryan Dodson. First-time fashion competition entrant Ciara wore a Zimmerman skirt, Bec + Bridge top, Cult Gaia handbag, vintage Celine earrings and a Velvet and Tonic headpiece.
Ryan wore a full custom-made suit from Deconché, where he works as a suit maker.
Soraya Gurney won Best Millinery. Gabrielle Cashmore took home the inaugural Best Accessories award.
Ciara and Soraya also earned a coveted spot in the regional final of the national fashions in the field competition on Vodafone Derby Day, The Ned Prix de Fashion.
OMF Melbourne Cup Day 2019
When: 5 November 2019
Best Dressed: Loic Lallement and Amber Sims
The 2020 summer racing season started in style at the OMF Melbourne Cup Day. Guests a welcome excuse to dress up to enjoy the great hospitality and entertainment of Ellerslie racecourse.
Congratulations to all the best dressed winners from the 2020 summer racing season.
