It was a display for a generous crowd to witness when Regal Stage dominated the 2020 Robert Oatley Vineyards Mudgee Cup Showcase (1600 metres), claiming the $35,250 prize.
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The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bolt product started strong and kept a lead from the begging thanks to an impressive ride from Winona Costin, but it wasn't until the home stretch that he broke free and won by five lengths.
No Escape from the Terry Croft stables took second followed closely by Bryan Dixon's Song One, with Kris Lees' High Opinion scratched at the barriers leaving much to be desired.
What the crowd thought of the day
There's no disputing the fact the Mudgee Cup attracts it's fair share of visitors, but in among the considerable crowd numbers hides a selection of locals.
Sara Murray and Leah Oakhill have been to more Mudgee Cup's than they care to count and when asked what it is that keeps bringing them out, the undeniable factor is the social aspect.
"It's a good girls day for us, we get to dress to the nines and really love the social aspect," they said.
For some, it's all about the racing, for others, it's all about the big day out, but for the select few, it's a day where they watch one of their own have a shot at one of eight races spanned throughout the day.
Bill and Nicole Dunn made the length trip from Caringbah, Sydney to attend the Mudgee Cup and while their horse, Tresse D'Or, may have been scratched, they weren't about to miss their first taste of the biggest day on the Mudgee racing calendar.
"We had a horse in race six, unfortunately it got the scratch but we came anyway," Bill said.
"Our first impressions of the Mudgee Cup are good, we 100 per cent will look at entering another one in Mudgee in the future."
It's all about the chill atmosphere for the majority of spectators at the Mudgee Cup, and Ian, Darren and Colin are no exception.
From their own little corner of South West Sydney, the trio ventured out to Mudgee all with the hopes of getting a day free from the hustle and bustle of city life.
"We came to enjoy the races and enjoy the wine. It's good to get out of Sydney. We came a few years ago and decided to come again because it's a really laid back atmosphere," they said.
"We'll definitely come back, that's for sure."
The day reached a top of 33 degrees.
Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
