We don’t usually spend a midweek afternoon in the pub. But the first Tuesday in November is a special day in Australia.

The Melbourne Cup is a prestigious horse race, part of a four day Spring Racing Carnival. It is said to be the race that stops the nation.

The day is a holiday in Melbourne and the state of Victoria. In the rest of the country, it seems almost everyone stops what they are doing to watch the 3pm race.

Conversation stopped in the pub as all faces turned towards the multiple tv screens. The dress code was varied here.

In other places it was an excuse for people to get dressed up, even if they were nowhere near the actual race track. These were just a few of the best dressed ladies we saw in Hobart today, lovely frocks and fascinators.

Today’s race was a record breaker. The winning horse – Prince of Penzance – was a hundred to one outsider, while jockey – Michelle Payne – was the first ever female jockey winner in the one hundred and fifty year history of the race.

Generally, we are not into horse racing or gambling, but it was a fun day and I did have the winning horse in a $2 sweepstake organised by my sister-in-law, over a thousand km’s away.