Group 1 racing returns to Flemington with Black Caviar, The Great Horse Raceday

@FlemingtonVRC #BCLightning 

Group 1 racing returns to Flemington with Black Caviar, The Great Horse Raceday

Flemington will celebrate Melbourne's Asian culture as Group 1 racing returns to Australia's premier racecourse in 2019 with Black Caviar, The Great Horse Raceday tomorrow.

The day will showcase the city's strong Asian culture through authentic bites from the hawker-style food market, themed entertainment and a nine-race card that acknowledges the Victoria Racing Club's (VRC) Asian racing alliances.

The hawker market located alongside Saintly Place will feature tasty eats from Mr Miyagi, Wonderbao, Wrap Roll It, Red Spice Road, and Okamoto Fusion Sushi as well as refreshing drinks by ChaTime.

Racegoers can complement the food offerings with lychee martinis, yuzu sours, sake and Kirin beer while enjoying live music as they try their luck at winning a TCL TV, TAB vouchers and more via the ever-popular Lucky Wall competition.

Melbourne street artist Sahil Roy Silk will bring his creative flair to Flemington as he showcases his work via a live installation in the Saintly Place breezeway.

The headline act on the track is the $750,000 Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m), a tribute to the retired Queen of Australian racing and a three-time winner of the race – undefeated mare Black Caviar.

Proven Group 1 performers Sunlight, In Her Time and Written By take on rising stars Graff, Lean Mean Machine and Osborne Bulls in the Black Caviar Lightning, where a field of 11 will thunder down the Flemington straight.

The undercard includes the Group 3 TAB Vanity (1400m) for fillies and the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) for colts and geldings, both of which offer a preview to Flemington's Australian Guineas a fortnight later.

The TAB Vanity sees the return of Group 1 heroine Amphitrite while the CS Hayes Stakes brings together the AAMI Victoria Derby trifecta of Extra Brut, Stars of Carrum and Chapada.

The international flavour on Black Caviar, The Great Horse Raceday will be further enhanced with strategic alliance race clubs the Japan Racing Association, The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Singapore Turf Club each represented with a race named after their respective clubs.

The Flemington Family Lawn will be given an Asian flare with Japanese hand fan art and origami crafts, cherry blossom and lotus face painting, dragon balloon art, giant Chinese checkers plus plenty of themed games and activities to keep the kids entertained all day long.

VRC Young Members can indulge in Japanese-style street food from Mr Miyagi, cocktails and karaoke at Tokyo YM. Located in The Peak within the Grandstand, Tokyo YM will offer some of the best views on course.

It is only fitting that on Black Caviar, The Great Horse Raceday we welcome two of the great horses from Living Legends to Flemington, with 2008 Black Caviar Lightning winner Apache Cat and Hong Kong's former champion Silent Witness parading in the Mounting Yard at 1:15pm and 3:40pm.

Black Caviar, The Great Horse Raceday sets the scene for a spectacular month at Flemington in March, with Australia's premier racecourse hosting three feature racedays including Australian Guineas Day (Saturday 2 March), Super Saturday (Saturday 9 March) and The All-Star Mile Raceday (Saturday 16 March).

Tickets to Black Caviar, The Great Horse Raceday, including hospitality packages, can be purchased from www.flemington.com.au. Children under 16 and accompanied by an adult are admitted free to Flemington all year round.