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KYNETON and Hanging Rock Racing Club has again showed why it deserves to be part of Australian horseracing’s greatest week.
Thousands of punters, fashionistas and others in search of a good day out flocked to the Kyneton racecourse on Wednesday for cup day.
The event sits neatly between Melbourne Cup Day and Oaks Day at Flemington and has clearly lost none of its appeal judging by the more than 3000 attendance.
On the track, Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde and jockey Daniel Moor combined to win the $100,000 Kyneton Cup (2000m) in a thrilling finish with the favourite Dodging Bullets, who mowed down the Darren Weir-trained Moonovermanhattan just before the line.
A delighted Wilde said the horse would now likely be aimed at the $300,000 Ballarat Cup on November 25.
“He is in a rare patch of form, he is a really good horse, he is as tough as they come and he is building a really good record,” he said.
"Maybe a race like the Ballarat Cup might be ideal for him, we will just savour this one for the time being and then work out what we do but the Ballarat Cup could be a good option for him.
Away from the track, it was the fashionistas, who stole the glory.
A keenly contested lady of the day category was won by New Zealand visitor Olivia Moor.
The 27-year-old is no stranger to success in the fashion stakes.
Moor and her sister Charlotte last year took out the Melbourne Cup fashion on the fields with outfits designed by their mother.
“My mother is an amazing seamstress and we came over to enter the Melbourne Cup fashions and a friend of ours said you have to go and check out this amazing little town called Kyneton,” Moor said.
“When we found out there was a race meeting here we were very keen to get her and get dressed up.
“And here we are.
“Mum and I work together, she does all the sewing and piecing together and I help out with the design side of things.
“A friend of mine Rebecca is here and she has an amazing gown and I thought she was a sure thing, so I was pleasantly surprised.”
Moor said there was “every chance” she would return to Kyneton in 2018 to defend her crown.
Karlie Owen did not travel as far to get the Kyneton, but claimed the honours in the millinery section.
The Cranbourne South woman owns and operates her own millinery business Jettah and Till Design and has long-been a horse racing enthusiast.
The reasons for her visit to Kyneton were initially two-fold, with a horse she part-owns entered to run in the $100,000 feature race, but was scratched on the morning of the race due to injury.
Her designs have been successful on racetracks elsewhere in recent times, including Peninsula Cup day at Mornington.
“It was a strong competition here in Kyneton, there were some beautiful outfits entered today,” she said.
“They were really lovely.
“I didn’t do Flemington this year, but maybe next year.
I was planning on going to Oaks Day, but circumstances have changed – I will go to Pakenham instead, which is a great day.
“I have a warm-blood due to foal any minute, so I need to be closer to home just in case.”
Eliza Icke and Michael McAlpine won couple of the day.