Caulfield Cup 2016 Chadstone Fashion Stakes

Caulfield Cup 2016 saw many women again vying for the winners sash in the Chadstone Fashion Stakes. Following a slightly different format to other racetracks, daily finalists are selected over the carnival before going in the Grand Final held on Caulfield Cup Day. There were two finals held this year- 18-40 year olds, and a 40+ category.Here are some snaps of the 18-40 year olds during the competition

The winner Rebecca Sargent wore a dress from Zimmerman and blush hued millinery from David Jones.For more images and to see the action as it happens follow @ontrackontrend on instagramBy Angela Menz         

Fashion Flashback: A Decade of Angela's Caulfield Cup Style

This year will be the 10th year I've attended the Caulfield Cup. Each year (with one exception) I have entered the Chadstone Fashion Stakes. Until the last couple of years I lived in Canberra, so attending was a pretty serious commitment to attending a raceday and fashion competition. I'll also add I have never won anything at the Caulfield Cup Fashion Stakes- in 2006 I was a heat winner and went into the daily final, but otherwise I have never made it past the first round. Despite my lack of success at the Chadstone Fashion stakes, I've always had a great day out at the Caulfield Cup and have many great memories over the years. This year will be my 10th Caulfield Cup and I can't wait! As I type I have nothing planned yet for my outfits, but lots of ideas swimming around in my head. Here's a little flashback of my outfits over the years...This outfit had a very loose Japanese inspiration. The bolero is stitched to the dress and was a Japanese craft fabric. The red part is gathered silk satin which I wore with red satin shoes. I still like this outfit, but am alarmed at my eyebrows here. Thank god they grew back... This day I kept having drunk people yelling at my satellite dish hat and when I walked on the lawn for all of 50 meters  someone spewed in front of me and someone else tried to pull my hat off my head. Caulfield has since dramatically cleaned up it's act...

This is one of the few times I have worn my hair out at the track. I had just discovered a good blow dry bar that I could just walk in without an appointment. This hat is one of my favourites and is a shape I use quite a bit in my millinery work. The dress has the back cut out as I though it looked too matronly otherwise. I later wore this outfit at the Pakenham Cup where I won Fashions on the Field.Last year I was running on empty trying to get my outfit together. I was really happy with how it turned out though. My dress is made from fabric I had purchased in Singapore. It comes from the same place where some of the Chanel tweeds are made. The black straps are ruffle elastic and there is black wool trim around the hem. The lace petticoat is actually curtain lace and if you look underneath you can see the holes to attach curtain hooks. I couldn't find any normal lace I liked in my budget, but was really happy with this lacey find. The hat was one I'd worn earlier in the year to Epsom Derby in the UK. Its made from vintage braid, glitter and feather quills. I added the veil for Caulfield Cup. This dress has since become part of my regular wardrobe and has been worn a number of timesNow i'm up to 2015 and my 10th Caulfield Cup. You'll have to stay tuned for this years outfit! I'll update this post after the event.UPDATE-For 2015 I decided to re-wear a dress I made for Royal Ascot earlier in the year. I was really happy with how it turned out and felt comfortable wearing it. Made from an orange sherbet coloured mesh, bonded nylon, the hemline was a long lantern shape with a fitted bodice. My hat was a black leather percher with curled turkey feathers. I kept my accessories pretty simple with a gold belt (I actually wore the same belt to the Caulfield Cup in 2013) and a necklace i'd picked up on a work trip to China. My shoes were a sample pair given to me by a factory I work with and were perfect as lace up shoes are a key trend for the season. Keeping up with tradition I bombed out of the Fashion Stakes in the first round. I especially can't wait to see what everyone else is wearing- I'll be there again taking snaps for On Track On Trend.By Angela Menz

EVENT - 2015 Chadstone Fashion Stakes, Melbourne

The Melbourne Racing Club have finally released all the important details regarding this year's highly anticipated Chadstone Fashion Stakes, including the introduction of a new category for professional and amateur milliners. Registration for all categories are open now at mrc.racing.com, and although registrations will be open on the day of competition, we strongly urge you to register before as entry places are limited.Please also note all categories - even men's and children's - require entrants to wear headwear. You're never too young for millinery!Stylish Ladies: 18-40 yearsDates: Heats and daily finals on October 10 (BECK Caulfield Guineas Day) and October 17 (BMW Caulfield Cup Day); grand final on October 17.Judging Format: A maximum of three heats will be held on October 10, where judges will select a maximum of 10 winners across all heats to progress to the daily final. Five winners from the daily final will be selected to progress directly to the grand final on October 17, where finalists must wear the same outfit they wore on October 10.On October 17, there will be a maximum of five heats, but still only 10 winners will be selected across all heats to progress to the daily final. In the daily final, five finalists will be selected to compete in the grand final and join the other five finalists from October 10. One winner, first runner-up and second-runner up will be selected from the 10 grand finalists.Prizes:

• Grand final winner: Two tickets to the Pegasus Marquee at the BMW Caulfield Cup in 2016, $800 voucher for David Jones, Antler Luggage to the value of $1,000, $400 voucher for Nine West, Endota Day Spa package voucher valued at $550, MRC Annual Guest Card for 15/16 racing season, a bottle of Pommery champagne, Say It With Flowers bouquet and hamper and one year's supply of flowers. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• First runner-up: Two nights at The Olsen valued at $2,000, $200 David Jones voucher, Antler Luggage to the value of $500, $250 Nine West voucher, a bottle of Pommery champagne, Say It With Flowers bouquet and hamper. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• Second runner-up: One night at The Olsen valued at $1,000, $150 David Jones voucher, Antler Luggage to the value of $300, $100 Nine West voucher, a bottle of Pommery champagne, Say It With Flowers bouquet and hamper. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• Remaining grand finalists: $50 David Jones voucher, Say It With Flowers bouquet. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• Daily final winners on October 10: Two general admission tickets to BMW Caulfield Cup Day.
• Heat winners: $50 voucher to spend at Chadstone - the Fashion Capital.

Stylish Ladies: 40+ yearsDates: Heats and daily finals on October 10 (BECK Caulfield Guineas Day) and October 17 (BMW Caulfield Cup Day); grand final on October 17.Judging Format: Ladies must be aged at least 41 years at the time of judging. A maximum of three heats will be held on October 10, where judges will select a maximum of 10 winners across all heats to progress to the daily final. Five winners from the daily final will be selected to progress directly to the grand final on October 17, where finalists must wear the same outfit they wore on October 10.On October 17, there will be a maximum of five heats, but still only 10 winners will be selected across all heats to progress to the daily final. In the daily final, five finalists will be selected to compete in the grand final and join the other five finalists from October 10. One winner, first runner-up and second-runner up will be selected from the 10 grand finalists.Prizes:

• Grand final winner: Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa accommodation package valued at $7,000, flights from Melbourne to the value of $2,000, two tickets to the Pegasus Marquee at the BMW Caulfield Cup in 2016, $500 voucher for David Jones, Antler Luggage to the value of $1,000, $300 voucher for Nine West, Endota Day Spa package voucher valued at $240, MRC Annual Guest Card for 15/16 racing season, a bottle of Pommery champagne, Say It With Flowers bouquet and hamper and one year's supply of flowers. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• First runner-up: Two nights at The Olsen valued at $2,000, $200 David Jones voucher, Antler Luggage to the value of $500, $200 Nine West voucher, a bottle of Pommery champagne, Say It With Flowers bouquet and hamper. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• Second runner-up: One night at The Olsen valued at $1,000, $150 David Jones voucher, Antler Luggage to the value of $300, $100 Nine West voucher, a bottle of Pommery champagne, Say It With Flowers bouquet and hamper. Further prizes to be confirmed. 
• Daily final winners on October 10: Two general admission tickets to BMW Caulfield Cup Day.
• Heat winners: $50 voucher to spend at Chadstone - the Fashion Capital.

Stylish GentlemenDate: Heats and grand final on October 10 (BECK Caulfield Guineas Day).Judging Format: Gentlemen must be aged at least 18 years at the time of judging. A maximum of three heats will be held on October 10, where judges will select a maximum of 10 winners across all heats to progress to the grand final. One winner, first runner-up and second-runner up will be selected from the 10 grand finalists.Prizes:

• Grand final winner: Two nights at The Olsen valued at $2,000, BMW luggage prize valued at $1,500, Antler product to the value of $1,200, $500 David Jones voucher, two tickets to the Pegasus Marquee at the 2016 BECK Caulfield Guineas meeting, MRC Annual Guest Card for 15/16 racing season, Bushnell prize valued at $1,000, a bottle of Pommery champagne, Say It With Flowers hamper. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• First runner-up: One night at The Olsen valued at $1,000, BMW luggage prize valued at $800, Antler product to the value of $600, $250 David Jones voucher, Bushnell prize valued at $750, a bottle of Pommery champagne, Say It With Flowers hamper. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• Second runner-up: BMW lifestyle prize valued at $550, Antler product to the value of $300, $150 David Jones voucher, Bushnell prize valued at $500, a bottle of Pommery champagne, Say It With Flowers hamper. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• Heat winners: $50 voucher to spend at Chadstone - the Fashion Capital.

Professional and Amateur MillinersDate: Heats and grand final will take place on September 26 (Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes Day).Judging format: Entrants must have designed and produced their own millinery entry and are only allowed one entry per milliner. Entries can be worn in the competition by either the millinery entrant or a model, but models must be aged 18 years and over to compete. Heat winners will progress straight to the grand final, but the number of heats and grand finalists will be determined by the number of overall entrants. The promoter reserves the right to offer "wild card" entries at any stage throughout the day, in which the entrant will immediately progress to a heat or the grand final. On winner and runner-up will be chosen from the grand finalists.Prizes:

• Grand final winner: Spotlight voucher to the value of $4,000, Say It With Flowers bouquet.
• Runner-up: Spotlight voucher to the value of $1,000, Say It With Flowers bouquet.

Classic KidsDate: Heats for the 4-7 years category will be held on September 24 at Chadstone - the Fashion Capital (lower level, outside David Jones), and September 26 (Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes Day), with the grand final on September 26 also. Heats and grand finals for the 8-12 years and 13-17 years categories will also take place on September 26.Judging format: 4-7  years category - on September 24, there will be a maximum of three heats and one daily final, beginning after 10am. One male and one female daily finalist will be chosen to progress through to the grand final on September 26. On September 26, there will be a maximum of two heats where eight grand finalists will be chosen across all heats. 8-12 years and 13-17 years categories - the number of heats and grand finalists will be determined by the overall number of entrants on September 26. Heat winners will progress to their respective grand finals. In the 4-7 years and 8-12 years categories there will be one female winner and one male winner in each grand final, while there will be one grand final winner and one runner-up in the 13-17 years category.Prizes:

• 4-7 years grand final winners: Penguin Random House Australia Prize Pack valued at $119.95, Clip Clop Club Membership and Welcome Pack for the 2015/2016 Season, Say It With Flowers bouquet (female) or hamper (male), Santa’s Magical Kingdom – Family Pass to opening night Friday 20th November 2015 (2 adults, 2 kids), David Jones $100 gift voucher. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• 4-7 years Chadstone heat winners: $50 voucher to spend at Chadstone - the Fashion Capital.
• 8-12 years grand final winners: Penguin Random House Australia Prize Pack valued at $57.00, Clip Clop Club Membership and Welcome Pack for the 2015/2016 Season, Say It With Flowers bouquet (female) or hamper (male), Santa’s Magical Kingdom – Family Pass to opening night Friday 20 November 2015 (2 adults, 2 kids), David Jones $100 gift voucher. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• 13-17 years grand final winner: Penguin Random House Australia Prize Pack valued at $92.95, David Jones $150 gift voucher, Antler product to the value of $200, MRC Junior Membership for the 2015/2016 Season, Say It With Flowers bouquet, Nine West gift voucher valued at $100, Chadstone Fashion Capital Magazine. Further prizes to be confirmed.
• 13-17 years runner-up: Penguin Random House Australia Prize Pack valued at $92.95, David Jones $50 gift voucher, Antler product to the value of $100, MRC Junior Membership for the 2015/2016 Season, Say It With Flowers bouquet, Nine West gift voucher valued at $50, Chadstone Fashion Capital Magazine. Further prizes to be confirmed.

 Photos all from Caulfield Racing Facebook page.