Sport
7 November, 2019
Large crowd celebrates 150 years of the Mortlake Cup
WHILE monochrome outfits are usually the norm on Derby Day, a number of racegoers broke free of the mould at this year’s Mortlake Cup meet.
WHILE monochrome outfits are usually the norm on Derby Day, a number of racegoers broke free of the mould at this year’s Mortlake Cup meet.
About 2800 keen attendees made their way to the Mortlake racecourse on Saturday to enjoy a day full of racing excitement, fashions and celebrations.
The main celebration of the day was the Mortlake Racing Club’s 150th anniversary, with a special VIP marquee a major highlight.
Club president Bruce Redpath said he had only heard positive reports from racegoers about the event.
“I have had no complaints,” he said.
“The general consensus was that it was a very good day.”
Mr Redpath said jockeys and stewards especially praised the track quality on the day.
“Our track was an absolute feature,” he said.
“The racing was excellent.”
In the main race, Miss Damita defeated Tysonic by more than three lengths.
Off the track, fascinators and smart suits were all the rage in the Fashions on the Field contests.
In the junior contest, Harry Brooks beat out his competition with a dapper white suit.
The women’s competition saw the majority of entrants within the Derby Day theme of black and white.
Penola’s Bridget Aldridge took out third place, with Camperdown’s Jessica Rowbottom named the runner-up and Horsham’s Melanie Wade named the winner.
In the men’s competition, Warrnambool’s Jake Carter took out second place, while South London’s Nick Bearham won the contest.
However, black and white was not the only style on show, with a number of hen’s parties with their own flair, including Jasmine West’s celebrations embracing a Disney theme.
The end of the racing did not mark the end of the celebrations, with band Sexual Chocolate rocking the stage until 8pm.
Mr Redpath thanked the Mortlake community for its support for the meet.
“We have a terrific community,” he said.
