![\"Cara](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2eac2150a6ec06998d97d1d31f89fa5d196e1074.png\")
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August 1, 2026 \u2014 1:43pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Between cheering on the racehorses and posing in the Birdcage, punters at Flemington<\/a> will be able to tuck into dishes like Chin Chin\u2019s beef rendang curry and Society\u2019s spanner crab tagliatelle as high-profile restaurateur Chris Lucas becomes a new Melbourne Cup carnival drawcard.<\/p>\n As well as Chin Chin and Society, food from the Lucas Collective\u2019s Yakimono restaurant will be on offer.<\/p>\n Lucas has inked a deal with the Victoria Racing Club to bring some of his most popular restaurants trackside as the club looks to broaden the appeal of the racing carnival and open up Flemington throughout the year.<\/p>\n VRC chief executive Kylie Rogers said sporting groups needed to deliver more than just sport to attendees.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s sportstaintment now,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is about delivering passion points, and sport is one passion, but music is another, and fashion is another, and great food and wine is another. That was our missing link, and I knew the man to go to.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Article Rogers said 53 per cent of the Cup carnival\u2019s general admission ticket holders were aged under 35, and it was her job to ensure racing remained relevant to the next generation.<\/p>\n The partnership with the Lucas Collective plays into the VRC\u2019s ambitious master plan for Flemington, which it is undertaking feasibility studies for at the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just about 21 days of world-class racing,\u201d Rogers said. \u201cWe also want to open up our precinct 365 days with community sports grounds, equine therapy centres, pony clubs, permanent restaurants and a pedestrian bridge connecting us to Footscray Park and Victoria University.\u201d<\/p>\n Rogers said she would like Lucas to have a permanent restaurant at the racecourse in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a vision at this stage,\u201d she said about the master plan, which has not been released publicly. \u201cI\u2019d like to think that we\u2019re starting to do community and commercial deals by mid next year.\u201d<\/p>\n Rogers and Lucas began talking about the partnership at this year\u2019s Australian Grand Prix, where Chin Chin operated a pop-up restaurant.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always said that what\u2019s a great iconic Melbourne event without great food,\u201d Lucas said. \u201cThere\u2019s always hurdles and people that say, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s too difficult\u2019, but we just found a lot of like-minded people that are saying, \u2018Well, why not?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Lucas said people who attended international events like the Melbourne Cup from interstate and around the world should have the opportunity to experience the best of Melbourne\u2019s food culture.<\/p>\n Melbourne Cup Day attendance last year was 84,374, with 66 per cent of the crowd from interstate or overseas.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll bring the iconic elements of what\u2019s made our restaurants successful, and we\u2019re not going to hold back,\u201d Lucas said.<\/p>\n Chin Chin will take over a pocket of Flemington\u2019s front lawn delivering a 60-minute \u201cFeed me\u201d menu for general admission ticket holders right next to the Fashions on the Field pavilion, which will be two storeys this year.<\/p>\n Society will occupy The Byerley restaurant in the members\u2019 enclosure with executive chef Joachim Lim overseeing a European-inspired menu available from Turnbull Stakes day and across the Melbourne Cup Carnival.<\/p>\n Japanese restaurant Yakimono will open in the Birdcage for VRC members and Birdcage guests, who can snack on grilled skewers from an outlet next to the live stage.<\/p>\n Related Article The VRC is keen to turn to commercial partnerships to boost its revenue after posting a $7.2 million loss last year<\/a>, its fifth consecutive multimillion-dollar loss since 2021.<\/p>\n International hospitality giant Delaware North took over the VRC\u2019s main hospitality and catering contracts in April following the end of a previous deal with Crown.<\/p>\n The partnership between the VRC and Lucas Collective will bring some local restaurant clout to the track.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re doing it this year and we will do it for as long as it works for both parties,\u201d Lucas said.<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Restaurateur](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fe1497c304b584e7de2b98500de53fd6c70581c5.jpeg\")
Restaurateur Chris Lucas and Victoria Racing Club chief executive Kylie Rogers at Society restaurant for the announcement of the Melbourne Cup carnival partnership. Justin McManus<\/p>\n![\"Jamie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/d26ae36c8e31305971c8a266588e606b45d0c5ab.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Chin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/04aa748e2ec075e038c83495cd224d12844a6894.jpeg\")
Chin Chin executive chef Ben Cooper at the grand prix pop-up restaurant, which helped inspire the deal with the VRC. Eddie Jim<\/p>\n![\"Kylie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6469297dbb238c8e5652c1c1a5470c0a6b254367.jpeg\")
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