More than 12,000 people made their way through the gates at the Tasmanian Turf Club on Wednesday for the 153rd annual Launceston Cup.
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Tasmanian Turf Club chief executive Peter Scott said it was one of the busiest years he had seen in a while, with punters from across the state and the mainland making their way into Launceston to enjoy the day.
“We were hoping for around that 12,000 mark and we definitely exceeded it,” Mr Scott said.
“We’re really starting to get the numbers back up and that’s what we want.”
After a rainy Cup day last year, Mr Scott said it was great to have sunshine and warm temperatures this time around.
“We had to bounce back from a wet day last year and I think we managed to do that, bigger and better even,” he said.
“Everyone I spoke to had a really great day.”
The Fashions on the Field event was moved back in front of the grandstand this year, a change Mr Scott said had made a huge difference to the vibe of the day.
“It was very popular - the fashions, the racing, that combination was just really good,” he said.
“We also had private marquees that we catered for which meant people could just come in and enjoy themselves without the stress.”
While the racing schedule was delayed earlier in the day after a staff member needed to be treated by paramedics on the track, Mr Scott said the day had run smoothly overall.
“He was in a stable condition and we’re all just hopeful he will be OK and it will work out for him. The day was relatively trouble free though.”
Running the event for the past two years and having attended the Cup itself for more than 30 years, Mr Scott said he had seen it evolve.
“It changed a lot when the restrictions around BYO alcohol came in, I think that changed the culture of the Cup.
“But it’s just a little more refined now and we’re very happy patrons behave responsibly. We just want people to leave the event each year with great memories of the day and we’re really hoping to keep building those numbers each year.”
As for the racing, Victorian-trained Big Duke was the major winner of the day, taking out the Launceston Cup, followed by Count Da Vinci in second, Tuff Bicki in third and Settler's Stone in fourth place.
Melissa Mobbs
A journalist with more than a decade of experience, Melissa Mobbs currently works as the Deputy Editor for The Examiner Newspaper in Launceston, and has a strong background in reporting on crime and the justice system. Send tips to Melissa.Mobbs@examiner.com.au or on Twitter via @melissamobbs.
A journalist with more than a decade of experience, Melissa Mobbs currently works as the Deputy Editor for The Examiner Newspaper in Launceston, and has a strong background in reporting on crime and the justice system. Send tips to Melissa.Mobbs@examiner.com.au or on Twitter via @melissamobbs.
