Dunedin police are praising the behaviour of a record 10,000 crowd at the Wingatui racecourse for the Melbourne Cup Day yesterday.
A Dunedin 19-year-old was the only person arrested at the event, after he allegedly urinated against the side of a house opposite the racecourse.
Senior Sergeant Steve Aitken said the teenager ''sobered up in the cells'' and was given a pre-charge warning.
A Dunedin man (22) was the only driver apprehended at a nearby drink-driving checkpoint, and just half a dozen other revellers were evicted from the racecourse for extreme intoxication and disorderly behaviour, Snr Sgt Aitken said.
''All in all that's pretty good, and police were generally very pleased with behaviour. While the levels of intoxication were up there, they weren't as excessive as they have been in the past.''
Snr Sgt Aitken thanked Red Frogs members for running a rehydration tent next to St John, and said they helped about a dozen people who needed a break from festivities.
Otago Racing Club marketing and events manager Charlotte Neilson said an exact crowd number was not yet known.
''Based on our pre-sales and what we can see, we've reached our expected 10,000 crowd,'' Miss Neilson said.
Corporate marquees and hospitality tents sold out, and a package for tertiary students was offered.
Miss Neilson said a new wristband system for alcohol consumers probably helped minimise disorder.
Hospitality staff, security, police, paramedics and other officials worked together to prevent extreme intoxication.
Other than a few spits of rain about 2.30pm and a moderate wind, the weather stayed fine.
Fashions on the Field attracted 51 entries, including four men who showed more flair than their female counterparts on the catwalk.
Michelle Johnson, of East Taieri, won the contest in a 1950s-inspired dress she bought from Queenstown, which her mother altered and to which she added her grandmother's pearls.
''As soon as I saw it I thought of Fashions on the Field,'' she said of the knee-length printed cotton gown.
Ms Johnson, a retailer, completed the ensemble with high heels and a fascinator she made.
Judge Deborah Lambie, a Miss Universe New Zealand finalist and Otago medical student, said selecting the best outfits was tricky because there were so many different styles of a high calibre.
Second was Sue Anderson, of Dunedin, who wore a classy 1940s vintage outfit, and Kaye Stones, of Wingatui, was third with her handmade jacket and dress.
In general, flower prints and head garlands dominated this year's racing fashion for women, while suits and colourful printed shirts were popular among men.
