PHOTO: NINA TAPU
She had been happy enough to be named in the top 10, the Invercargill woman said, but was thrilled to have won.
Dressed from top to toe in a red ensemble, Ms Balneaves said she would normally wear pastel colours, but a change of heart pushed her to try a vivid colour that matched her name.
"I usually wear light colours but this time I wanted to be bold and go quite bright today.
"I got the dress and hat from Australia and everything else, the shoes and gloves, from here."
She attended the races predominantly for the Fashion in the Field event but was also a fan of horses and the racing.
"I’ll definitely be back next year."
