Turf Deli Racing News

Cup Week News

Stay misinformed with all the breaking racing news leading into the Melbourne Cup with the Turf Deli Racing News.

If you have missed a weekly newsletter or want to see what we have got up to over the last ten years or so, there is a full archive of all the previous newsletters on the website.

Before heading out to Flemington this week make sure you check out our Flemington Track Guide for barely usable information on what to see, what to do, where to sit, stand, bet, eat, and answer calls of nature.

We will update the panel on the bottom of the newsletter as the week progresses with any new items of interest.


Yellow Glen House

Most racecourses these days are keenly pursing large residential developments on prime inner city real estate.

However, Flemington have gone one step further this year erecting a model display home Yellow Glen House right on the main lawn. Once the developers step in, they plan to build a string of identical boxes the length of the straight, all with prime Melbourne Cup finishing post city skyline views.

During Cup Week, selected race goers will be rewarded with a special golden key that opens their own private booth in the Yellow Glen House marquee. This comes with your own personal team of Oompa Loompas to fetch your food and drinks, place your bets, and chase after anyone you want to chat up.

The lucky race goer can sit back on your golden chair on the upper levels, sitting high and mighty and ruling over the common folk on the Flemington lawns.

Sounds fantastic. Though when the revolution comes at the end of a long and drunken Cup Day we just hope that your dodge ball skills are still finely tuned as the unruly peasants fling various projectiles in your general direction.

Who knows maybe even Charles will stop by on Cup Day and get in some much needed throne practice ?

Flemington Fling

The Hill Stand at Flemington has had a bit of make over in the last couple of months.

Previously, the Hill Stand was stuck in a time bubble. Nothing had changed in the last thirty years in either the decor or the clientele. Which was actually a good thing to be in the cosy familiar surrounds of your punting youth, dreaming of the good old days when you actually needed to think about your trifecta (as there were none of these cop out, tick all the boxes, flexi betting options), and the quadrella came with lovely brackets to give you that unexpected double chance.

Now the Hill Stand plays host to the Flemington Fling Bar, where you can partake in the Flemington Fling Cocktail, the Melbourne Cup Carnival's first ever signature drink. As opposed to all those years that the Cup was proudly carrying the name of various beer companies which are now long forgotten.

It does makes you wonder how on earth the Melbourne Cup lasted over a hundred and fifty years without its own associated cocktail. The new bar replaces the old tote house that sat against the back wall of the Hill Stand, cause, really what use is having tote windows at a race track anyway ?

The new bar is located in the general public so you too can pretend to be a glamorous Birdcage celebrity. Just tell everyone you were an extra on Neighbours in the early 1990s or something.

Whilst the Flemington Fling has a catchy name and makes good use of the mystical, magical powers of alliteration, the more cynical amongst you who have witnessed some unfortunate over exuberant incidents during Cup Week might ask why they didn't go for the Flemington Hurl ? Or maybe a racing name ? The Flemington Furlong ? The Flemington Straight Six Shots ?

Like any good cocktail, the Flemington Fling has a list of top secret ingredients. However, if you are wondering what that gritty, slightly bitter after taste is, let's just say that they make sure all those losing tickets containing punters hopes and dreams are put to good use. Ground to a fine pulp, distilled and then left to mature it adds a distinctive racing flavour that is uniquely Flemington.