Gallery | A day at the Echuca races on Melbourne Cup day

By Josh Huntly

Nov 1, 2022

Loving it: Kiara Abbate, Archer Russell and Oakley Russell enjoy the cotton candy. Photos: Steve Huntley Photo by Steve Huntley

It was a wet old start for Melbourne Cup day at bet365 Echuca, but against all odds one of the biggest races on the local racing calendar got its start.

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The predicted rain poured down on the community event from early in the morning on the first Tuesday in November, leaving many to question if the day at Echuca would even go ahead, let alone the biggest race of them all down in Melbourne.

Picking a winner: Punters enjoy the Echuca races on Melbourne Cup day. Photo by Steve Huntley

But as punters slowly rolled in to Echuca Racing Club, the skies parted, the sun shone through and the action got under way with a local one-two in the Echuca Newsagency BM58 Highweight Handicap to start the day.

Good luck: Adam and Penny Lynn pose with Amaze’Em. Photo by Steve Huntley

Echuca trainer Tayne Foster’s Amaze’Em was the first winner of the day, and several punters braved the weather to observe from trackside.

Purple power: Race four winner Battle Talent. Photo by Steve Huntley

Some punters manned with Monday’s edition of the Riverine Herald waited with bated breath to see if editor Gregor Mactaggart’s tips for the day were worth the paper they were printed on, and a second-place finish to Rhys Archard’s Tutankhamen was an early win for the section.

Incoming storm: A gloomy day at the Echuca races. Photo by Steve Huntley

For this sports journalist who decided to go his own way, however, picking a winner at Echuca proved a tough task.

Vying for glory: Horses charge down the final straight at Echuca. Photo by Steve Huntley

Raceday fashion was alive and well, with suits and fashionable frocks the order of business, but a casual approach was also appreciated in a new-look Cup day event with a focus on community spirit.

Family affair: Riley, Tahlia, Blake and Katrina Fitzpatrick enjoy the races. Photo by Steve Huntley

Patrons in the members room were treated to music from Jade Camden, while 50 metres away, jockeys copped a face full of dirt on the heavy 10-rated track.

The Lexus Melbourne Cup attracted racegoers to the main pavilion to see the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Gold Trip claim the race that stops a nation, which was met with mixed reviews.

Wet weather racing: Jockey Luke Williams returns to the rooms after a muddy outing in race one. Photo by Steve Huntley

Thirty minutes later and 180km away, the Maher-Eustace stable had a winner in race five at Echuca, with Whatafox streaking away by five lengths to take out the 1400m Two Tarts Catering Maiden Plate.

Watchful: Greg Bishop, Sgt Shane Walker, Terry Moore, Senior Constable Jules Tenace and Senior Constable Blair Crandell keep the peace at Echuca. Photo by Steve Huntley

Race three delivered a local winner in the form of the Michael Newton-trained Campaspe Run in the Think Water Echuca Maiden Plate, with the three-year-old delighting connections with a first-up win by five lengths.

Cheers: Leeann Iskra, Michelle Peters, Kerrie Taylor and Helen Pannam enjoy the Echuca races. Photo by Steve Huntley

For some of the roughly 500 attendees, it was the perfect tonic after a difficult few weeks.

Something different: Marcus Smith, Brian Moss, Bill Smith and Phil Summerfield don some interesting raceday attire. Photo by Steve Huntley

The flood crisis of 2022 has kept locals on their toes, but for a community that enjoys heading down to the local races, watching the horses thunder down the final straight looked to provide some distraction, especially for those who picked a winner on race day.