If you don’t have plans for next Tuesday then you’re either tied to your desk or from another country.

The race that stops a nation nearly didn’t when horse flu hit Australia earlier this year, and while Queensland and New South Wales have suffered since, it’s all go, go, go where the spring carnival really counts – Victoria.

THE place to be next week will be at Flemington.

But if flights to Melbourne and tickets to a corporate enclosure are out of the question, expect to find plenty of colour at functions all across the Sunshine Coast.

Corbould Park may be without horses but the party will still carry on, plus lunches at the Coast’s top restaurants are heavily booked, which only means one thing – time to frock up!

Dressing for the races is not rocket science but a little advice can go a long way to creating a winning look.

For starters, simply donning a hat or fascinator does not a race outfit make.

It’s about the total look, the way that headwear works with your whole outfit.

Sounds simple but trust me, so many get it so, so wrong.

I’ve had the privilege in recent years to judge quite a few fashions on the field events.

I say privilege cautiously, as often it’s a thankless task – not from the organisers of the events but from the entrants who don’t win and the trackside observers who think the winner isn’t up to scratch.

I’ve had entrants come up to the judging table after they’ve failed to nab a prize, and slam their registration number down before stomping off in a huff.

One such woman not only slammed the number but also asked, using not-very-nice words, what it would take to win.

Fortunately for her (and me), a friend dragged her away before I could equally politely suggest that she should, for starters, avoid the UDLs before her next attempt.

Dressing for the races is steeped in tradition and, sure, some of the traditions have been blurred, but it’s still about class.

We’re not talking the stuffy type of class here. We’re talking about a certain elegance. We’re talking about dressing at a level somewhere between that for a wedding and a cocktail party.

Yes, it can be sexy but there is a fine line between sexy and skanky.

Cross that line at your own peril.

If your dress is as short as a top, has a plunging neckline and back, and you plan to have a few beverages, then don’t say I didn’t warn you.

This is not what the fashion stylists mean by the “less is more” principle.

It is not a pretty sight at 4pm on Melbourne Cup Day when hours of drinking bubbly in the sun has rendered you unable to walk, much less keep those small pieces of clothing from revealing more than the intended amount of flesh.

Think ahead, girls, and double check that skanky-sexy meter before leaving home … it could be your best bet of the day.

Have you seen some fashion tragics at racing events? What’s the best race-day outfit you’ve ever seen someone carry off?