Noelle Prince will be delighted to see some thrilling racing tomorrow but the ORC general manager places a higher priority on seeing clear skies and some of that lovely November sunshine at the Grand Casino-sponsored Melbourne Cup Day at Wingatui.
"We’re really hoping the sun is going to shine after that deluge we had," Prince said yesterday.
"For the marquees and the general admission area, it’s always nice if we can enjoy a bit of sunshine.
"The weather’s looking OK for Tuesday, which always keeps us on our toes at this time of year."
A feature of the day will again be the Fashion on the Field competition.
Prince expects a healthy entry list, with prizes for the top three placings. The fashion champion earns a trip to represent Otago at the new mega race day — $9 million in stakes, including the $3.5m NZB Kiwi slot race — at Ellerslie on March 8, along with a bunch of other prizes.
"Fashion on the Field is always a really cool aspect of the day," Prince said.
Her team were busy yesterday putting up marquees for the racing at Wingatui.
All hospitality packages had sold out, but there were plenty of general admission tickets available at the gate.
Prince hoped to see a crowd of about 3000 at the course, on a par with recent years.
The club had offered a bus service from Dunedin, and free shuttles would run around Mosgiel after the races.
"The fields looks fantastic, so we’re looking forward to some good racing."
Melbourne Cup Day at Wingatui tomorrow will feature a full 10-race card, including the feature $50,000 1400m open handicap at 3.46pm and five $40,000 races.
