Melbourne Cup day is also about dressing up and getting into the spirit of the famous annual race. Photo / File
It's the race that stops a nation, but many punters in Hawke's Bay may struggle to know who they are betting on.
Melbourne Cup TAB betting could set a record $10millon but when Hawke's Bay Today contacted prospective punters, some of those usually in the know ... weren't.
A near-takeover
by Northern Hemisphere horses at the event means New Zealanders are in the dark. Hawke's Bay Racing manager Jason Fleming calls it "undisclosed" form - horses which rarely race or do so in races New Zealanders know nothing about.
On Friday some could hardly name a contender. Like two others involved in running cup day functions, Taradale RSA manager Ben Allen, whose father and managerial predecessor ran cup-day events at the club for 20 years, plumped for Kiwi horse Silent Achiever - until we told him it had been declared a non-start several days earlier.
"Well, there you go," he said with a laugh, hoping those booked in for one of many cup functions in the Bay tomorrow are better prepared for the race starting at 5pm.
