Tom Percy: The 10 things I learnt on my trip to Melbourne for the Cup

1. Things are just as tough in business as they are here. The number of prime retail sites vacant is equal to that in the Hay St Mall in Perth.2. Price gouging is still alive and well. Even the modest city hotels, like the one I use, treble their rates during Cup week. As they do over the Grand Final weekend.3. Melbourne racing is still King in the Spring. The upstarts from Sydney might be throwing massive amounts of money attracting thousands of bogans along to sing Sweet Caroline on Everest Day, but for the racing purists there is no comparison and no threat.4. Men still happily wear suits to the races, whatever the weather. Sure, Perth Cup day is a tad warmer, but there are standards to maintain. The advent of shorts as a permissible form of dress in the members last year was, mercifully, short lived.5. You can buy a hot dog for $5 at the races. It’s basic and doesn’t attempt to rival the kitchen sink variety forced upon patrons at Perth Stadium for about $17.50; but it does the job.6. The biggest growth industry in the CBD is tobacco and vapes. There are literally dozens of these outlets on every corner of the place. If the Federal Government thought that taxing cigarettes until the price of a pack of smokes was on a par with a shot of heroin was a good idea, then they probably need to think again.7. The price of eating out (unavoidable if you are a visitor) is out of control. At average city eateries, pubs and the like, (and I’m not talking Southbank or South Yarra) a standard steak, salad and beer will set you back the best part of $100.8. Getting to the races by train in Melbourne is a piece of cake wherever you live. Compared to getting to Ascot here on Cup Day it’s quick, cheap and convenient. (Rita: how about an Ascot extension to Metronet?)9. Since COVID, the degradation of the flights to the East has continued apace. The aircraft are small, packed, and rarely on time whichever of the main carriers you choose. No meals provided. No screens. The a la carte selections are pitiful and expensive. Can of standard beer $12? I rest my case. The fares are still the same or more. It’s increasingly like catching a bus.10. I had an old aunt who often warned me that the favourite never wins the Cup. Once dubious of such sweeping generalisations, this year’s unfathomable result is increasingly inclining me to her view.