Peter, the man who keeps the turf in the mounting yard clean and tidy, reckons there are 101,000 at Flemington today. And certainly scanning the ground from the perfect vantage point of the yard, this place looks packed to bursting.
Whether it’s the royal patronage or just the glamour of an impressive international field for this year’s Cup that has pulled in the big crowds it’s hard to say, but as the storm clouds open no one seems to be going home.
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From the moment they arrived, Prince Charles and his wife looked at home in this realm of the sport of kings.
Camilla couldn’t help but tell anyone who asked that her sights were on Mount Athos for the main prize. The Prince was more circumspect saying he leaves that sort of thing to his wife.
In the end it was Green Moon who won the Cup and ironically, the horse’s casino mogul owner Lloyd Williams also triumphed the last time Charles attended the race, in 1985 with his then-wife Princess Diana.
Watching the race, an animated Charles and Camilla, laughed, pointed and were caught up in the thrill of the chase. Presenting the trophies they looked as if they belonged here at Flemington.
As with all of the couple’s events so far the public reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and rapturous.
They were incredibly generous with their time and seemed to seek out hands to shake and crowd members to engage with, emboldened perhaps by public eagerness.
“I can’t believe we got acknowledged,” said one breathless racegoer to her partner, as she looked incredulously at her just-shaken hand.
But this seems to be more than just a brush with celebrity it goes deeper. If Australia was ever heading for a republic this royal visit from the future King and his wife so far seems to be cementing the absolute opposite and is proving that the royals are still very popular in Australia.
Amanda Elliott, Vice Chairman of the Victoria racing Cup was one of the hosts for the royal couple on Melbourne Cup Day and met the Duchess of Cornwall for the first time.
“She’s very easy to talk to,” she says. “Very interested in Flemington and in the horses and thrilled to be here. I’m sure that the royal visit has brought more people because in this Diamond Jubilee year everybody loves the royal family.
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“They’ve done a great job and even though Australia went through a period of republicanism we’re fully behind the monarchy now and have been for a couple of years.
“I think everyone goes through times when systems are questioned, but there’s no doubt the very big majority of Australians are very pleased to have Her Majesty as the Queen of Australia.”
