The horses have been groomed, the wine chilled and more than 30 marquees are ready to host thousands of guests for the biggest day on the racing calendar.
However, for Dunedin hairdresser Jodie Seaton the horses are a distant second to the excuse the Wingatui Melbourne Cup day gives her to dress up and come out of her "shell''.
Last year a tulle dress covered in artificial flowers and vines earned Mrs Seaton second place in the Fashions on the Field competition.
Today a floral hand-made headpiece will bloom from Mrs Seaton's head accompanied by a floral Trelise Cooper dress and gleaming purple heels from Sydney as she enters the competition again.
"My hairpiece was just a creation that went from something small in my mind to something huge on my head.''
Dressing up for the event was a rare opportunity, she said.
"In all honesty I am a pretty shy person. It takes a few wines to get up there,'' she said. "I get up there and come out of my shell.''
Fashion in the Fields host Jo Ann Gorman, of Wanaka, said she was expecting to see "lots of lace, pastels and sequins'' at Wingatui today.
While the races were about making bold fashion statements, there was a race day attire etiquette, she said.
Fashions on the Field judge Ben Boyne advised people to dress for the weather.
"Bring your Chanel hunting boots,'' he laughed.
Otago Racing chief executive Hannah Catchpole said registration for Fashions on the Field would be open until race two and judging would start after race three.
More than 600 tickets had been sold for a new student-only area at the event, Ms Catchpole said.
The area, tipped to give students a "ball at the races'' experience, would include a separate entrance and exit, private bar and performances from Dunedin bands and musicians, she said.
The first of about 40 marquees were put up on Saturday and the final marquees for the "huge'' event were due to go up last night.
The marquees had been arranged in a new formation, featuring two villages named Black Caviar and Diamond One, which would offer canapes and corporate areas.
The new formation would also give all racegoers better views of the 10 horse races, she said.
Late yesterday, the MetService was forecasting high cloud in the morning and patchy rain from afternoon with a high of 15degC.
Five thousand people are expected to attend.
A Dunedin Railways train would make three trips to the racecourse and two return trips.
The first train would leave the Dunedin Railway Station at 11.20am.
Gates would open today at 11am and the first race was scheduled to start at 12.20pm.
