1 week ago
2
The Birdsville Races are known as the Melbourne Cup of the outback – and Grace Hayden dressed accordingly as she took in the world-famous event almost 1600km west of Brisbane this week.
After helping launch Sydney's Everest Carnival earlier this week in the swanky surrounds of Randwick Racecourse, the cricket commentator moved to the simpler but still spectacular sights in and around the town near the Northern Territory border.
Hayden is an ambassador for the Birdsville Races, which were first held more than 140 years ago and raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Describing the experience as 'truly unforgettable', she has posted photos of herself going through several outfit changes as she did a dawn photo shoot, took in the Cup Parade and got her tips in for the big race.
Her trip to the red centre comes just days after she exclusively told Daily Mail about a deeply unsettling encounter she had while commentating on the cricket in India.
This year's Birdsville event has been hit by a weather event you wouldn't usually associate with a bone-dry outback town, but it hasn't dampened racegoers' enthusiasm.
Grace Hayden is among thousands of people who take in the famous races in the Queensland outback town of Birdsville, which usually has a population of just 100
The 23-year-old described the experience as 'truly unforgettable'
The races are often called the Melbourne Cup of the outback, and Hayden brought the wardrobe to match
Floods have shut much of the 517km Birdsville Track, a major outback road that traverses three deserts and two states, ahead of the 143rd race meet.
That hasn't stopped more than 100 horses, their trainers, jockeys and thousands of punters coming from every corner of Australia, converging in the dusty outpost usually home to about 100 people.
Those coming from the southern states have swapped a 1200km journey up the track from South Australia for a 1600km trek via Broken Hill and Tibooburra in western NSW.
Birdsville Race Club vice president Gary Brook said it wasn't the first time weather and patchy road conditions had presented challenges, but that was all part of the event's unique charm.
'Life isn't always easy in the outback,' Brook said.
'If you wanted to go to a race meeting where everything was the same and everything was perfect, you could probably go to one of those in the city.
'I would guarantee that if people have been to the Birdsville Races, and another 20 race meetings over the last 20 years, I don't think they could recall those meetings in the same way they could with Birdsville.'
Record-breaking rain in March and April created an inland ocean across much of outback Queensland, leaving the race track under water for weeks.
This year's Birdsville Races will feature a record 135 horses, with Hayden (pictured) working as an ambassador
The races have been held for almost 140 years and raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service
Floods have shut long stretches of the Birdsville Track, meaning many racegoers had to journey even further than usual to get to the tiny town in the red centre
After months of repairs to the course, buildings and stables, it will become home to a record 135 horses and their 32 trainers over the weekend.
Organisers are expecting their biggest event in recent years, with the 13-race, $330,000 carnival culminating in the Birdsville Cup on Saturday.
Tasmania will be represented for the first time in the race's history, as trainer brothers John, Robert and Ken Keys bring their runners more than 3000km to the outback.
'It will be a bit warmer in Birdsville than a Tasmanian winter,' Brook said.
'But that does typify the uniqueness, the draw of the Birdsville Races.
'People want to be part of it ... and they're coming a long way to do so.'
The event on the edge of the Simpson Desert began in 1882 as a small meet for 150 stockmen and horse owners.
It has since become a bucket list item for racing fans and intrepid travellers alike.
Mates Mick Devlin and Wayne Hicks travelled 3000km from Darwin, a trip they've been planning for years.
With two cartons of water and eight cases of beer in tow, the pair stopped at Daly Waters and the Barkly Homestead in the Northern Territory, then on to Mount Isa and Bedourie in outback Queensland.
'It's an iconic Australian thing to do,' Devlin said as he sat in front of his tent sinking a cold one.
'I love driving and travelling and the country is absolutely beautiful at the moment.'
Staff at the Birdsville Hotel, a white-picketed country pub built in 1884, started planning for an influx of visitors as early as June.
'The races, without a doubt, is our absolute favourite week of the year,' hotel manager Ben Fullagar said.
'It's a homegrown, local event that is very important to the town and the community, which means it's very important to us.'
