More than 1300 people turned out for the event, about triple the crowd at the inaugural 2005 meet.

But most spent their time admiring the fashion creations and indulging in champagne and lunch rather than watch the horses.

Click here to see the Oaks Day fashion and fun at Albury

The second annual Myer Fashions on the Field proved a sure bet, drawing about 50 entrants over four categories plus 200 spectators.

Wodonga’s Tracy Patterson won the most elegant lady category for the second year in a row.

She caught the judges’ eyes with a classic grey and brown one-shoulder look and a handmade headpiece she jokingly described as a “helmet”.

“I put a lot of time and effort into it so it’s a bit of my own design this year,” Miss Patterson, 35, said.

Miss Patterson also won the millinery and women’s classic racewear sections at the Albury Gold Cup in March but said there was no secret to her success.

Sarah Haynes, of Wangaratta, wowed the judges in the inaugural Modern Miss Racegoer category with a “citrus, fluoro yellow” dress her friend told her to buy.

She bought the dress in Perth about a year ago and paired it yesterday with black shoes, bag, fascinator and jewellery for a look she summed up as “bright, fun and girly”.

“I bought this dress when my friend told me I dress like a nanna; she told me I needed more colour in my wardrobe,” Miss Haynes, 29, said.

Judge Bernadette Cannizzaro, of Myer Albury, was impressed with the designs in all the categories and said it had been tough to pick a winner.

She said she and her two fellow judges chose Miss Haynes’ colourful outfit as a precedent for the new category in the future.

“We felt the yellow was pretty daring and quite trendy, too, because it’s one of this season’s colours,” Mrs Cannizzaro said.

Bookmaker Chris Mac­lean said it was a fun, but not financially strong, day in the betting ring because the spotlight was on the ladies.

“It’s been a fantastic day, there’s three more marquees than last year and plenty of pretty girls,” he said.

“The girls like to have a bit of a flutter but they pick based on the colours and the names.”