Queen Elizabeth II Cup 2012

This is going to be a very lengthy post with tons of photos because just like any of the Singapore Turf Club events I’ve been invited to, it’s always exciting, glamourous and filled with so much excitement that everyone just wants to capture everything! 

The Queen Elizabeth II Cup was inaugurated in 1972 to mark the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to the Singapore Turf Club at Bukit Timah and quite appropriately, it was won by an English jockey. Since then, the QEII Cup has become an annual event that symbolizes prestige and glamour for both the local and expatriate guests who visit the racecourse.

This year also marks a very special year as the Singapore Turf Club celebrates the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, which marks the 60^th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

Clearly one of the highlights of the local racing season, the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (QEII Cup) will see some of Singapore’s top stayers compete for a slice of the $350,000 prize money. It has been a weight-for-age race since 1994 when EMERALD ISLES won in a course record time of 2 min. 1.9 secs. at Bukit Timah.

So what exactly does a weight-for-age race mean?

“Age-for-weight is a term in Thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. It means that a horse will carry a set weight in accordance with the Weight for Age Scale. This weight varies depending on the horse’s age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year. Weight for age races are usually races of the highest quality.

WFA is a method of trying to equal out the physical progress which the average thoroughbred racehorse makes as it matures. The thoroughbred matures extremely quickly compared to the human being. By the age of two the horse has achieved 95% of its mature height and weight, and by the end of its third year it will be fully mature. To allow for this variation in maturity in the context of racing, it is necessary to express it as a function of the weight a horse will carry in a race. It is also necessary to take into account the race distance because stamina comes with maturity, and younger horses are at a greater disadvantage the further they have to run. If no allowance was made, a mature older horse would always beat a younger one.” – Wikipedia

I guess in simple terms it just means add weight to older horses based on their age so that younger horses have a fair chance of winning the race.

The QE II Cup race is also geared towards celebrating the ladies and their race fashion. So all of us were dressed in our hats and cocktail outfits to enjoy a night of glamour and glitz! I personally love collecting and wearing head pieces or hats so it was lovely to be able to enjoy the night with my friends who came in their pretty dresses and hats too!

 

It was a night of activities. There was a Lady Luck Draw with Prizes worth up to $3,000 in total up for grabs , including items from Gucci and Kate Spade courtesy of Reebonz. Top hat tap dancers will brought up the party mood a notch as they entertain the crowd at the grandstand with their dazzling steps.Buffet dinner with free flow of cocktails and beer at the Marquee where we were at, a “Guess the Winner” Contest, fashion and hat accessories sale, and a photo booth with Polaroid takeaways.

Many thanks to Jason of the big bad booth for fun and crazy photos I took with Regina and Irene! They had all sorts of quirky props so it was just time to go crazy!!!

Some of the ladies with gorgeous fancy hats were participate in the ”Best Hat on Tracks” contest. The winner, who will walk away with a Prada Vitello Daino Contenitori Tracolla Bag worth $699 courtesy of Reebonz, will be determined through voting. The winning voter will receive a Ritz Carlton dining voucher and $50 CapitaVoucher. Regina was one of the contestants so it was pretty exciting to be able to cheer on for a friend. She didn’t win but I’m really proud that an Asian made it up there to compete with all the Caucasian ladies.

The whole event is British themed so there were these  “English Guards” with ridiculously tall hats! It’s so funny! I should get one of those hats then I’ll be taller!

The emcee for the night looks a tad like Hugh Grant to me. I wonder if he’s british too!

We got to walk around to the Turf Club, exploring the main areas and even visiting the Champagne room which is where the owner of the winning horse has his huge celebration with an enormous Champagne of course!

Like with all races I have attended with the Singapore Turf Club, I’ll bet a small amount in one or two races just for the excitement. The minimum bet is S$5 and that’s the amount I usually play. I think I’m too risk adverse to ever play big even though I’ve always won or broke even at the races! It’s mainly the thrill of choosing and cheering on a horse that I’ve pick that gives the excitement.

Many thanks to the Singapore Turf Club and Jessie for the invite! I love being at the races 🙂