Stakes Day 2010

Stakes Day would have to be the perfect ending to a perfect event. This event signals the end of the Spring Racing Carnival, and is supposed to be a Family Day with special emphasis on the kids. On Stakes Day kids whoop it up with a whole lot of activities that are perfect to keep their thrill levels high – - Jumping Castle, Animal Farm, and even Mini golf. The whole event goes to show that when Emirates does something, they do so in style.

They even have a Kids Fashions on the Field which really has to be the cutest show on earth. Stakes Day is when kids get to show off some fashion and moms and dads can send their wine-stained party wear to the dry cleaners. They are judged by celebrities and come under two categories – - junior and teens. The lucky winners get to win fabulous prizes that include overseas trips for the whole family. Kids also get to go on rides, have their faces painted and play various games and of course, watch the horse race, which is what it is really about. Not surprisingly, there are many tots who go back home that day having decided they want to be jockeys when they grow up.

This day is for the ultimate horse racing fanatic who didn’t get enough of it in the past ten days. Most mortals are raced out by the Cup day or at least by Oaks Day, and would be happy to catch the rest of it on TV. But apparently there are the die hard fans of the equestrian sport who are bent on squeezing out all they can. There are also the wiser ones who gave the go by to all the insanely overcrowded affairs, and attend the more sober, sedate Stakes Day when the hyper active elements of society are at home nursing hangovers the size of a horse.

On Stakes Day the attention shifts back to the horses as the family oriented audience realizes this is the last chance they have, to witness the majesty of a horse running at full speed ahead, with the jockeys perched so precariously on their backs. This is the last chance to hear the thundering hooves come rumbling from a distance and gets closer by the second. This is also when you notice the beautiful blooms and the shrubs and trees that go to make this one of the most beautiful, lively places in this splendid city, and decide that you definitely have to come again next year.

Recent Stakes Day winners include Divine Madonna, Valedictum, Sky Cuddle,  Titanic Jack, Scenic Peak, Desert Eagle and Testa Rossa.