What a difference a year makes for Chiltern publican Adrian Smith.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Smith and wife Joanne have been running the Telegraph Hotel for two years and to say Melbourne Cup day in 2020 was different would be an understatement.
After welcoming around 300 people for 'the race that stops a nation' last year, Mr Smith was limited to just 10 patrons in his bar area and a handful of small groups enjoyed the day from the beer garden outside, with everyone wearing masks.
"We've had to change things around a bit today, just like the whole year, to try make it work," Mr Smith said.
"We're all living with it.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"It's been a long year for us, but the Chiltern community is awesome."
Claire Stiler made the most of the sunshine, but didn't have success she would have hoped for on the horses.
"It's a beautiful day for it," Ms Stiler said.
"I normally don't bet and I never really follow the race.
"It's just nice to be out."
Twilight Payment won the Melbourne Cup for Joseph O'Brien - the second time the young Irish trainer has claimed Australia's greatest race at Flemington.
Albury trainer Mitch Beer was forced to scratch his Melbourne Cup day runner Redouble on Tuesday morning.
Redouble recently finished second in Australia's richest race for country-trained horses, The Kosciuszko, at Randwick, but was ruled out with a foot abscess.