Punters, most of whom were Christmas holiday makers having a good time, not regular visitors to Trentham or Ellerslie, were not deterred by the equaliser betting system.
For $1, punters got a letter, which just before the race starts is allocated to the number of a horse. Only the winner pays a dividend.
It is believed the beach races at Castlecliff - which have been staged since 1872 - is the only other meeting to use the unique betting system.
Ray Brott of Gisborne, a regular camper at Kaiaua since 1989 and a keen racing fan, was not complaining after winning on the first two races.
The winner of the first race, the Tolaga Bay Event Cup, Teeps, ridden by Richard Meihana, paid a great dividend of $9.
And the winner of race 2, the O.G. James Memorial Cup, Possie, ridden by Cherie Atkins, paid $14.
“It’s the most I’ve ever won,” Mr Brott said.
Between the races children played rugby or cricket or threw frisbees around while parents took plenty of holiday snaps.
In the congested camping area, where holiday makers were packed in far more tightly than in the average Kiwi camping ground, vendors did a roaring trade in fast food, icecream, coffee and other goodies.
Ray Brott said his wife Jane and two sons loved camping at Kaiaua.
“We’re here with a few mates, but it is chocka up here.”
All proceeds from the race meeting support community projects in the Tolaga Bay region.
