Fancy a Day at the Races? Vancouver’s Annual Deighton Cup Returns to Hastings Racecourse
Dig out your fanciest fascinators and flashiest bow ties, and get ready for one of Vancouver’s most stylish affairs featuring horse racing, cocktail-swilling, whisky-and-cigar pairings and a fashion runway show-down. The ninth annual Deighton Cup hits the Hastings Racecourse on Saturday, July 22, from 11am to 6pm, and this year organizers have pulled out all the stops to transform this old-fashioned derby into one of the hottest events of the summer.
For the first time this year, the Cocktail Jockey Mixology Competition takes place one day ahead of the main event, at Reflections in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia (noon to 3pm). Ten of B.C.’s best bartenders will convene for a battle royal that challenges each to craft a never-before-seen twist on the classic Champagne Cocktail. Partial proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Variety – the Children’s Charity, as well as imagine1day. Entry is complimentary, though an upgraded ticket is available for $25 that includes guaranteed access to the competition as well as a free Mint Julep at the Deighton Cup (must be purchased with a Deighton Cup ticket). To access tickets, click here.
photo: Jonathan Evans
But the main event is the Deighton Cup itself with more than 5,000 attendees expected to arrive in their finest – and, in many cases, wackiest – attire. Eight exhilarating horse races comprise the main show, though there’s plenty else to see and do throughout the day. Fashionistas dressing to impress will want to up their game for the Style Stakes competition, whose celebrity and fashion-industry judges identify the best-dressed female and male in the crowd. Guests can also snap selfies in the Mile’s End Motors Field of Dreams, filled with drool-worthy luxury cars; enjoy a hearty lunch in the picnic area (included with ticket) prepared by some of Vancouver’s finest chefs; and discuss the race over whisky and stogies in the cigar lounge.
Tickets for The Deighton Cup are available at www.deightoncup.com. See you at the races!