Tickets for the 2014 Melbourne Cup Carnival will go on sale at 9am tomorrow (7 April) through Ticketek, beginning the count down to the celebration that stops a nation.

Victoria Racing Club (VRC) Acting CEO Julian Sullivan said the on-sale date has been brought forward this year to meet customer preferences.

“We recognise that many racegoers, and particularly the more than 50,000 expected to travel from interstate and overseas to attend the Melbourne Cup Carnival, prefer to plan their visits to Flemington well in advance,” Mr Sullivan said.

Tickets going on sale are for general admission areas, reserved seating and The Precinct, a dedicated premium GA area offering enhanced amenities.

Melbourne Cup Carnival corporate hospitality and dining offerings are already on sale, with many options expected to sell out months in advance.

“Many regular attendees are eager to secure their desired option early so they don’t miss out,” said Mr Sullivan.

“The VRC is proud to work with Ticketek for the second year, offering Melbourne Cup Carnival racegoers a simple and seamless ticketing experience.”

Ticketek offers a range of convenient methods to purchase tickets, including through its mobile site and iPhone app. Racegoers will be able to select mobile ticket delivery to receive tickets via SMS, and will simply need to present their mobile phones at Flemington for entry.

Melbourne Cup Carnival general admission and reserved seating continues to be great value for money with no price increases and free admission on all four racedays for children under 16 who are accompanied by an adult.

“We continue to work to improve the raceday experience at Flemington through facility upgrades, premium food and entertainment offerings, value-add sponsor activations and our free on-course wi-fi for racegoers,” said Mr Sullivan.

The Melbourne Cup Carnival commences with AAMI Victoria Derby Day (1 November), followed by Emirates Melbourne Cup Day (4 November), Crown Oaks Day (6 November) and Emirates Stakes Day (8 November), with over 350,000 racegoers expected to attend.