The Melbourne Racing Club once again justifies claims as Australia’s most festive club this weekend, playing host to three consecutive meetings across the Easter holiday period.
The highlight of the three-day, two-venue festival is Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation Easter Race Day on Saturday, where Caulfield presents Melbourne’s Greatest Ever Easter Egg Hunt as well as a pair of quality group threes.
Easter eggs numbering the hundreds of thousands have been donated by Ernest Hillier for the four hunts, each belonging to a particular age group and conducted in the name of raising awareness and funds for organ and tissue donation, the purpose of Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation and theme of the day.
All proceeds from registrations for the Easter egg hunt – a $5 donation – go directly to Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation. Participating kids receive a special bucket to collect their bounty.
In addition to the hunt, Zaidee’s assumes naming rights to one of the day’s features, the Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation Victoria Handicap.
The $150,000, 1400-metre group three has attracted an exceptional field, including the runners-up from the two most recent renewals of the race, last-start winners Budriguez and Under The Eiffel.
The second of the on-track highlights is the $150,000 Group Three Le Pine Funerals Easter Cup (2000 metres), in which impressive Bendigo Golden Mile winner Jet Away sets out to make it two victories from as many starts Down Under, up against a field containing 2012 race winner Folding Gear and four-time group one-winner Wall Street.
Jockeys riding in the Victoria Handicap will don the rainbow-trimmed breeches, pictured below on Vlad Duric aboard 2012 Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation Cup winner Smokin’ Joey (see Appendix 1 for full file).
