{"id":129207,"date":"2025-11-11T07:52:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T07:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/129207\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T07:52:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T07:52:08","slug":"addington-cup-day-2025-sunshine-style-and-chat-from-the-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/129207\/","title":{"rendered":"Addington Cup Day 2025: Sunshine, style and chat from the track"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BlueBlue skies at Addington after heavy morning rain. Photo \/ Mike Thorpe<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Infield is in the middle of the track,\u201d said one young woman after arriving. <\/p>\n

\u201cIs it?\u201d replied her friend with neither irony nor curiosity. <\/p>\n

It is, by the way. In between races the track becomes a path for heels not hooves. One track-crosser lost a shoe. Then her balance. Then dignity. Stilettos are no match for sand. <\/p>\n

\u201cNo alcohol! No alcohol! No alcohol!\u201d yells a track attendant as two women cross the track \u2013 with alcohol. <\/p>\n

\u201cJust keep going,\u201d says one to the other. <\/p>\n

Alcohol is forbidden from crossing the track. <\/p>\n

Inside the Infield is a stage, a DJ, food trucks and games. Like water pong.<\/p>\n

\"WaterWater pong in the Infield at Addington kept some of the thousands of punters entertained. Photo \/ Mike Thorpe<\/p>\n

\u201cI suck at beer pong but I\u2019m awesome at drinking beer,\u201d says one onlooker to his friends who respond in silence. <\/p>\n

The game is being run by a promotional team from \u201cHundy\u201d, a hangover cure manufacturer. Its representatives are explaining the health benefits as they dish out prizes. Not all prizes are claimed. <\/p>\n

\u201cI want to go to work tomorrow feeling like s***,\u201d says a competitor who appeared well on the way to achieving his goal. <\/p>\n

Others are following his lead. <\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t realise until I was halfway through the second one that they\u2019re the s*** ones. I\u2019ve been drinking the pineapples that are 6%!\u201d notes one RTD connoisseur. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a game you can play at home \u2013 Horse Name or Crowd Chat? <\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell the boys\u201d, \u201cShow me masculinity\u201d, \u201cAlways be batman!\u201d, \u201cBetter knuckle up!\u201d and \u201cAnna\u2019s had enough\u201d. Answers below. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a warm 19C. Not blazing \u2013 but hot enough that shade is welcomed. Hot enough that one racegoer will take home a perfect tan line of the tie on the back of her dress.<\/p>\n

\"CoutureCouture tan on the back of one racegoer at Addington. Photo \/ Mike Thorpe<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need sunscreen on your scalp,\u201d says one young woman to another, who has 85% of her skin exposed as well as a side part in her hair. Again, no irony registers with either party. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a silent disco at the Infield, 20m from the stage. They also have DJs. It seems an affront to the main act but they\u2019re unconcerned.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe silent disco next to the loud disco in the Infield. Photo \/ Mike Thorpe<\/p>\n

In the outfield \u2013 if that\u2019s what it\u2019s called, is The Crossing Cup Day Fashion competition. Seven nights at some swanky accommodation in Mooloolaba is up for grabs. <\/p>\n

\u201cChristian Angel, could there be a more appropriate name?\u201d asks the MC as she announces a contestant. <\/p>\n

\u201cTwo for $1 place mats for the hat,\u201d announces the MC of another contestant, who is proudly modelling her DIY headpiece. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe dress is Italian, though,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

\"SuitsSuits from Europe. Brad Wilson and Jody Mills rock Smurfs and Sonic fashion in the Infield. Photo \/ Mike Thorpe <\/p>\n

Traditionally, as the day progresses, the behaviour loosens up among the crowd. This year is better behaved. Too well behaved for some. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know anyone who is pissed and I\u2019m mad about it,\u201d says one reveller. <\/p>\n

Another strikes the jackpot. <\/p>\n

\u201cFree p***! I tried to pay for these and he said nah, they\u2019re free.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FrancoFranco Sinatra takes out the TAB junior free-for-all at Addington. “He did it his way.”<\/p>\n

The punters are enjoying themselves too, mostly. <\/p>\n

\u201cI suck at betting, bro.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cCome on Arafura! *clap* Come on Arafura! *clap* Come on Arafura! *clap*. <\/p>\n

Arafura ran second. *clap* <\/p>\n

Some are luckier in love. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t pass out \u2013 he\u2019s always up for it,\u201d claims a woman to a group, who nod and smile. <\/p>\n

Some have no luck at all. <\/p>\n

\u201cAre you going to sell her ring, then?\u201d asks one man of his friend. It sounds like the opposite of an engagement.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Public Village at Addington Raceway. Photo \/ Mike Thorpe<\/p>\n

The day ends in the Infield with Shapeshifter and Savage on stage to a crowd that is ready for more than this end of the day has ever offered at Addington. <\/p>\n

The Tuesday meet has been a poor cousin to Riccarton on Saturday in recent years. Not anymore. Cup Day at Addington is back. <\/p>\n

Horse name or Crowd Chat answers.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t tell the boys\u201d Horse <\/p>\n

\u201cShow me masculinity\u201d Chat <\/p>\n

\u201cAlways be batman!\u201d Horse <\/p>\n

\u201cBetter knuckle up!\u201d Horse <\/p>\n

\u201cAnna\u2019s had enough\u201d Chat <\/p>\n

Mike Thorpe<\/a> is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. He has been a broadcast journalist across television and radio for 20 years and joined the Herald in August 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Blue skies at Addington after heavy morning rain. Photo \/ Mike Thorpe \u201cThe Infield is in the middle…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129208,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[836,38388,74,95,1863,66037,10542,5972,156,71,1456,111,139,69,13692,89468,7798,79641,9643,213,2791,19795,223,6759,22974,89467,76562,19054,2201,80],"class_list":["post-129207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-836","tag-addington","tag-after","tag-and","tag-back","tag-chat","tag-cup","tag-day","tag-entertainment","tag-from","tag-mike","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-offer","tag-overhauling","tag-race","tag-raceway","tag-spark","tag-sports","tag-style","tag-sunshine","tag-the","tag-thorpe","tag-track","tag-trackside","tag-trotting","tag-turned","tag-went","tag-zealand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}