Racing legend Gai Waterhouse slams ‘ridiculous’ new Melbourne Cup rule: ‘It’s the silliest thing I’ve ever seen’
- Conservative PRC generally adheres to tradition
- Made a huge new change to the dress code
- Not everyone is impressed with how progressive they are
Leading horse trainer Gai Waterhouse has spoken out against a controversial rule change for the Melbourne Cup to allow men to wear shorts during ‘The Race That Stops a Nation’.
From next Tuesday, members aged 12 or over will be allowed to wear shorts – but only in the Flemington members area and only if the garments meet certain conditions.
Meanswear designer Arthur Galan told Channel 10 he was stunned that the Victorian Racing Club had allowed the progressive measure.
“I’m surprised because the PRC can be a bit conservative, but it’s time for a change,” he said.
“It’s a good thing.”
Waterhouse, however, is having none of it.
“It’s ridiculous, I think it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen,” she said.
‘I’m not going to Bondi Beach or Altona. If you come here, you should dress for the occasion.
“I saw the guy (model) with the shorts on, and I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. Maybe I’m old-fashioned.’
New rules from the Victorian Racing Club will allow men to wear shorts in the members’ area at Flemington for the very first time in the Melbourne Cup’s long history (Photo: A male model wears shorts at the launch of the Cup Carnival on Monday)
Veteran coach Gai Waterhouse was shocked by the announcement, calling the idea ‘stupid’ and urging the VRC to stick to tradition
However, the announcement is not a green light for men to wear stubbies and thongs during the races. There are conditions.
The shorts must be tailored with a matching tie and jacket and must sit at or below the knee.
“This is not about loosening or loosening the rules,” PRC chairman Neil Wilson said.
“It’s the opposite… This is not a case of anything goes.”
However, Waterhouse is not alone. The concept of men wearing shorts to the races has been universally panned, with many social media users saying it makes them look like ‘overgrown schoolchildren’.
“They look like toddlers at Easter Mass,” one person replied.
‘Are schoolchildren allowed to go to the races unsupervised?’ asked another.
“The current generation is desperately trying not to grow up,” wrote another.
Although there is a mandatory dress code for the members area, people can still dress casually in the general areas of Flemington
While Waterhouse, the daughter of legendary trainer Tommy Smith, was shocked by the announcement of the shorts, she still looks forward to her favorite time of year.
“I came here as a teenager,” she said.
‘My mother wouldn’t let me come as a child, I came as a teenager, and my first trip to Flemington was in the back of an old-fashioned Rolls-Royce, I think.
“A guy named John Newton and his buddy took my girlfriend and me to the races, and we sat in the back with a glass of champagne and a chicken wing, and we stopped at the cops, and they had a piece of the chicken and a glass Champagne. That wouldn’t happen today, but it was a happy memory from the start.
“I love it, I think it’s one of the biggest racing events in the world, and they do it so well, with the VRC and Racing Victoria backing them.”