So today is the race that stops a Nation! That’s right it’s the running of the Melbourne Cup. Now I’m not a big race goer although I did enjoy trips to the races in Brisbane back in the days before kids and commitments. The social club at work used to organise a couple of events during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival but I was more interested in the fashions and the beautiful horses than placing bets. It was always just a fun day out and if you took home a few dollars it was a better day out.
Then I started going out with my now husband and he seemed to know alot about horses. He never won any real money but would spend hours studying the form guide. He knew all the winners of the previous Melbourne Cups and many other Group 1 races (see it rubbed off). Infact, our first holiday together was spent in the Hunter Valley visiting wineries and horse studs. So our next trip to the track was a bit of a let down for me. Previously I’d picked my winners (and losers) by the colours of the silks or by their cute/weird/different names. But now I knew the names of jockeys and trainers and the horse’s breeding and I was so confused. Should I back a horse based on my previous criteria or should I now consider whether a Bart Cummings trained horse was going to be better than a New Zealand horse or would Mick Dittman take his horse over the line first.
This year I’m taking inspiration from the colours of the cup. The colour combinations of the jockey’s silks can be a great place to start when trying to come up with a colour scheme for your home. So I’ve chosen three horses (two favourites and my wild card) to inspire you.
Admire Rakti is odds on favourite as it won the Caulfield Cup this year. The colours for Admire Rakti are light blue and dark blue which is a lovely combination for any room in your home. Blue is a calm, cool colour so perfect for a bedroom.
Lucia Valentina is my second pick. I’ve chosen her as she’s a New Zealand horse. Her jockey will be wearing Apple Green and Navy Blue, you know those colours that shouldn’t be seen together? I don’t know why that is because I think they are a perfect combination. Throw in a splash of yellow and you have a bright happy combination.
And my wild card is Unchain My Heart because I like the song by Joe Cocker AND because she is trained by David Hayes son of legendary trainer Colin Hayes. The colours for this horse are an interesting combination of mustard, blue and orange which is a triadic colour scheme. (Three colours equidistance apart on the colour wheel)
So no matter how you pick your winner for the race today or even if you don’t, have a great day and take some inspiration from the colour festival that is the Melbourne Cup.
If you would like assistance choosing colours for your home, contact us for an appointment.
