ALL eyes were on the Tamworth Cup, but off the track there were pops of colour, prints and plenty of autumn hues as thousands flocked trackside yesterday.
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Racegoers made the most of the long weekend and enjoyed a day out under the clouds for Tamworth’s premier race day.
The Kris Lees-trained Pitt Street might have had the punters guessing before it ran away with the $80,000 Cup but it was an extra special moment for one of its owners.
ABC rugby league commentator David Morrow was commentating the NRL action on-air when he was informed of the gelding’s win.
Morrow told listeners Walcha and Tamworth were the first ever race meetings he attended and now his horse had bagged the Cups at both.
And off the track, the crowds impressed.
“It’s really nice to see some lovely dresses in the crowd and it’s good to see support from everybody in the community,” Tamworth Jockey Club’s Victoria Toy said.
“The Tamworth Cup is part of the fabric of the history of Tamworth for well over 100 years.”
Kay Jeffery took out the Fashions on the Field title for best dressed, while Aaron Harley’s ensemble wowed the judges in the men’s section.
And while his racing days are over, one of Australia’s best sprinters was snapped in the mounting yard.
Takeover Target, the $6 million rags to riches galloper, made an appearance trackside with owner Joe Janiak – who was the guest speaker at Saturday night’s Calcutta.
The sprinter was purchased for just over $1300 before he ran on to win a long list of premier races before his retirement in 2010, and subsequent induction into the Australian Hall of Fame.