LIFE AFTER 20: The Race That Stops A Nation...

It is undoubtedly one of Australia's favourite public holidays. It's The Melbourne Cup, affectionately dubbed "the race that stops a nation", and it's the major event in the Spring racing season.

I'm the first to admit, I'm not a huge fan of the Melbourne Cup, or horse racing in general for that matter. It really has nothing to do with the horses or the sport itself, but rather the culture that goes along with it.

I am, for lack of a better word, an anti-gambler. I have no problem buying a few raffle tickets at a fundraising event and my sister bought me my first Lotto ticket last week when the jackpot hit $1million, but I am constantly amazed at the amount of money people willingly (and excitedly it seems), hand over to bookies to not just bet on horses, but on practically anything.

I completely understand and respect the concept that "you have to be in it to win it" but the truth is, the gambling industry is so successful because people consistently lose more than they win. On my recent trip to Las Vegas, I had some interesting conversations with various casino employees who were complaining about the hard hit The Strip had faced during the GFC and that only now, were gamblers and tourists coming back to the desert. As the waitresses, barman and hotel staff complained, I couldn't help but look around me and see hundreds of people sitting at tables, at slot machines or big wheels and wonder "if this is what tough times looked like, than the good times must be really good".

Australian's do love to gamble and I think a lot of it stems from our deep culture in sport- the two just seem to go hand in hand with one another. However, my main problem with gambling today is that it's become so mainstream, so accepted and so "normal" that its advertising has practically infiltrated our televisions, radio stations and print media virtually unnoticed.

In my personal opinion, if someone wants to gamble, they have every right to go to their local TAB outlet or jump on the Internet, but I have a serious problem with the positive message that betting companies are presenting, particularly when airing their ads during prime time " family" television.

If I'm being honest, I believe that gambling should be placed in the same category as alcohol, smoking or even pornographic advertising. It shouldn't be allowed on mainstream TV and at the very least, glamorised in the way that it is. No one sees images of the families left devastated by a gambling addiction, or those forced to live on the streets because they have nothing left. Gambling is an addiction and I'd hate to see the number of those affected by this disease rise with the coming generations, simply because they were exposed to advertising and pro-gambling images at such a young age.

I think seeking gambling information should be a conscious choice, rather than something we see in the media and over time, become desensitised to it.

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Back to the original theme of this post though, and let's talk about the Melbourne Cup fashion.
This year, Australia celebrated 50 years of Fashions on the Field at Flemington.

The racecourse was definitely a sea of colour at this years event and flower power seemed to be a trending theme. But as always, there were some hits and some misses...

[ Jacinta Campbell | Stunning dress. Still unsure about the head piece ]

[ Kyly Clarke | Perfect colour for her complexion. Simple and chic ]

[ Jennifer Hawkins | This dress caused a lot of controversy around my office, but it's actually my favourite celebrity look of the day. I love how different the jewels on her head are and the blue colour is absolutely gorgeous ]

[ Delta Goodrem | I didn't like this ensemble at all. She looked like she should have been frolicking in a field rather than track side ]

[ Kate Waterhouse | This is very simply but very pretty. Lavender is a beautiful shade for Spring and the detailed neckline is gorgeous ]

[ Rebecca Judd | I don't know why, but I don't love this dress as much as all my friends seemed to? I think the hat is fab, but I'd prefer this printed dress in softer colours. A little too harsh for me ]

[ Sophie Monk | Sophie just seems really up-tight in this dress. It's stiff, boring and bland. Nothing fun about it at all ]

[ Misha Barton | I'm still confused as to why Misha was at the Melbourne Cup, but regardless, her and her dress looked terrible. She's at the top of my worst dressed list. ]