Flemington

1 Wherever you are today - welcome to Penfolds Victoria Derby Day at Flemington. It ismyfirst opportunityasChairman towelcomeyou to the2021Melbourne Cup Carnival. I want to thank all racing supporters and everyone in the racing industry, and especially at the VRC and Flemington, for your extraordinary dedication in keeping our sport alive and flourishing during many months of community lockdown this year and last. We are proud that we have been able to work with health professionals and essential workers to play our part in promoting community wellbeing, while ensuring that the show could go on and that equine welfare is protected. I would also like to thank our VRC members for their loyalty over the last 18 months. This has extended beyond financial support, to many wonderful messages of encouragement and optimism to ensure we continued our unwavering focus to get back to Headquarters as soon as we can. Today starts a new chapter at Flemington. In the long history of our greatest classic for three-year-old stayers, we celebrate a new partnership, presenting for the first time the Penfolds Victoria Derby with prizemoney of $2 million. Penfolds’ parent company, Treasury Wine Estates, has been a partner with the VRC for over four decades and we were delighted to announce this new relationship with Penfolds in July this year. Derby Day always opens the Melbourne Cup Carnival with elegance and the highest quality racing. Today a total of $9.1 million is on offer in prize money and bonuses. Every race on the card is at Group standard—four at the exalted Group One level—including, of course, the feature Penfolds Victoria Derby. Always a highlight of Derby Day is the Lexus Hotham Stakes run over 2500 metres. The result could shape next Tuesday’s Lexus Melbourne Cup with the winner receiving a ballot free exemption into our greatest race. We look forward to progressively welcoming crowds of racegoers back to Flemington in the coming days, weeks and months. Penfolds Victoria Derby Day heralds the new beginning. Please enjoy the day. Neil Wilson VRC Chairman CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME