Gai's Kentucky Derby blog: 'This is the standard, and what a standard it is'

Cover image supplied

Gai at Churchill Downs: Derby Day

Words really can’t describe the scenes I witnessed; the race meeting, the level of emotion. Watching the Kentucky Derby today... I was completely taken aback. This is just how they do it. This is the standard. And what a standard it is.

To have access to be on the racetrack when this historic Group 1 was run, it just about blew my mind. You could hear the horses thundering past, feel the dirt spitting up toward your face. The jockeys, the connections, the press, all on the track. And behind you? A sea of people disappearing into the grandstand of this beautiful, iconic building. It was utterly breathtaking.

Gallery: Gai Waterhouse dresses for the track conditions at Churchill Downs, images supplied

And the singing of My Old Kentucky Home, well, it gave me goosebumps. Truly. You’ve got 150,000 people standing shoulder to shoulder, and suddenly everything stops. The whole crowd sings as one. It's deeply emotional. I don’t know how to describe it other than to say it makes your heart swell. It's not just tradition, it’s theatre.

The way they parade the horses is so special. I think the most moving thing I saw all day was the connections walking up the track in absolute chaos, some in dress shoes, some in gumboots, leading their horses through the mud, straight into the mounting yard. It was raw, it was real, and it only happens here in Kentucky. And boy, do they do it well.

We were incredibly well looked after by Churchill Downs. We had the best seat in the house, truly. We were in the new restaurant, just behind the new race day stalls. The people saddling their horses couldn’t see us, but we could see them. It was like sitting inside the stall while the horse was being saddled. Phenomenal. Three-dimensional. The best concept I’ve ever seen on a racetrack.

The food was excellent, a beautiful buffet, every type of food you could imagine. The space was roomy, the décor matched the occasion, and you could move around with ease.

Getting around the track on Derby Day is never simple, but we were very ably assisted by Daniel Ramser, who I honestly think was an archangel sent from above. Thank you, Churchill Downs, for gifting us such a good guide.

And the hospitality, from the very top, was outstanding. The Churchill Downs team of Greg Bush, Ben Huffman, and Cathy Shircliff could not have been kinder or more welcoming. Cathy helped coordinate our trip all the way from Australia, no easy feat! But from the moment Emma Coleman and I set foot in Louisville, we felt at home. Among friends.

Gallery: Gai Waterhouse mingles with Kentucky's racing greats around Churchill Downs, images supplied

And what about Godolphin! What an achievement. To win both the Oaks and the Kentucky Derby within 24 hours is simply extraordinary. Sheikh Mohammed has done just about everything there is to do in racing, but this, his first Derby win with Sovereignty, a stunning son of Into Mischief - a homebred, it’s the crowning glory. My pick Journalism ran his heart out, fought all the way and finished a very brave second. He lost no admirers. And now, they look to the Preakness on a two week back-up - a quick turnaround by US racing standards.

It was just the most extraordinary day. I honestly couldn’t recommend it highly enough. For any Australian racing lover, if you get the chance, come to Kentucky. Experience the Derby. There is absolutely nothing like it.