MELBOURNE Cup day racegoers at Albury and Wangaratta have had to endure some of the best rainfall in the region for months.
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Festivities still went ahead at both tracks, but the estimated 20mm which fell in Wangaratta during the day was the best drop of rain since early August .
A similar amount in Albury was the city’s best rainfall since early October.
The recent Albury track upgrade ensured the Non-TAB meeting, which had only 23 runners across five races, went ahead on a soft surface before it backs up in two days time for the Oaks Day meeting.
The highlight of the day was jockey Amanda Masters winning the first three races and finishing second in the fourth event.
In comparison, Wangaratta’s Non-TAB meeting 43 runners with better prizemoney on offer with the Ledger stable winning the first two races with Mankell and Electric Charlie.
Melbourne Cup day was the first time patrons could use the new grandstand at Wangaratta with 380 on the ground floor and a further 100 in the corporate boxes.
“If we had those 500 people in marquees after the rain we’ve copped early this morning it would have been a bit of a nightmare,” Wangaratta Turf Club chief executive Paul Hoysted said.
He said the crowd of between 2500 and 3000 was down.
The luncheon is the major fundraiser for Aspire’s community grants scheme.
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