Royal Ascot, England
Royal Ascot, just six miles from Windsor Castle, is one of the leading racecourses in Europe. It hosts nine of the UK's 32 annual Group One races and offers racegoers a statement of wealth and style.
"I love Ascot for its tradition, for its formality," says Fenton-Ellis, who has been invited into the royal enclosure. "The 'royal touch' puts Ascot in a class of its own. Watching the Queen arrive each day via horse-drawn carriage down the straight mile is a unique experience."
Royal Ascot has strict dress codes to maintain its standards. Women must wear day dress and hat and rules apply to the length and style of dress. Men must wear black or grey morning suits and top hat. "There are so many top hats and people arriving in horse-drawn carriages - more than 300,000 people attend Royal Ascot Week. It's Europe's best attended race meeting," says Fenton-Ellis. "I loved every minute of it."
Royal Ascot also has fine-dining on the fifth floor of the grandstand for premium viewing. Racegoers can also order a Royal Ascot picnic box filled with finger sandwiches or seafood platter and champagne. The November racing meet also has a Christmas shopping village.
Singapore Turf Club
The Singapore Turf Club boasts a world-class venue at Kranji, opened in 2000 as a replacement for the former Bukit Timah track. Fenton-Ellis, whose husband's stable (Te Akau) opened there in 2010, says racing is on most Friday nights and Sunday afternoons and huge money is at stake.
All horses (currently about 1600) are stabled at Kanji and racing professionals - trainers, riders, veterinary surgeons and farriers - all work from one venue, making the racecourse effectively a "one-stop shop".
"Imagine a grandstand of five storeys that seats 13,000 but can accommodate through private areas some 30,000 racegoers," says Fenton-Ellis. "The roof represents a horse at full stretch and Kranji boasts one of the largest outdoor screens in the world - 46m by 8m."
Others to Watch
• Just across the ditch is the famous Melbourne Cup Day, held on the first Tuesday of November - November 4 this year. Schools and businesses close for a public holiday in Victoria as the Flemington Racecourse comes alive. For clothes horses, Oaks Day (November 6 this year) is the unofficial ladies' day of the Melbourne racing season and it's all about dressing to impress.
• Order a mint julep at the bar and watch the famous Louisville Kentucky Derby. The 141st derby takes place May 1-2 next year. Afterwards, visit the Kentucky Derby Museum and take a Horses and Haunts Walking Tour.
• The Hong Kong Jockey Club's Sha Tin Racecourse is home to the world's richest day of turf racing, the world's first retractable roof over a parade ring and the world's longest Diamond Vision Television screen. It's set out in the New Territories region of Hong Kong.
Closer to Home
Fenton-Ellis' tip is to start with local meetings before embarking on a visit to the great racecourses of the world and she believes each of our tracks (Ellerslie, Te Rapa, Trentham and Riccarton) compare well to the overseas courses.
"In New Zealand, we can get close to the horses and it's possible for anyone to be involved in racing a horse then attending meetings to cheer them on," says Fenton-Ellis.
"We can be proud of our bloodstock here as they punch well above their weight on the international stage - New Zealand thoroughbreds are among the world's best."
"There are huge days coming up at Ellerslie - Boxing Day, New Year's Day and Auckland Cup week in March - and in Hamilton, the Waikato Times Gold Cup Day is always a sell-out with around 15,000 in attendance," says Fenton-Ellis. "Then, of course, November sees NZ Cup Week in Christchurch [Show Day is Friday, November 14] and in late January it's the Wellington Cup Carnival - all iconic racing events."
Fenton-Ellis says going to the races is the best entertainment you can experience. Her advice is to "follow the form, follow the horses, follow the fashion. Put a race day on your next travel itinerary. You won't regret it!"
