24 a champion and crowd favourite who ran second in the 1950 Melbourne Cup. Amarco (1957) became the dam of champion Tobin Bronze. In recent decades we have been spoiled with VRC Oaks champions including the half sisters Spirit Of Kingston and Rose Of Kingston, along with Surround, Research, Miss Finland and Jameka. Because it has always been Ladies’ Day, the Oaks as a race has happily shared the day with fashion, especially women’s fashion, at its best. At first, in fact for years, this was often treated with delight but sometimes with a whiff of male condescension. As in the 1870s: ‘One of the great features of the Spring Meeting is the lawn and its occupants, the ladies, who in a great measure contribute to the success of the November reunion. Without those beautiful butterflies that flutter about the promenade, Flemington would indeed be dull.’
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