Melbourne Cup day is also about dressing up and getting into the spirit of the famous annual race. Photo / File
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-takeoverby 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.
Most go for sweepstakes, a horse-race lottery, but some tips came yesterday from such men as Mr Fleming and Mangatahi farmer Graham De Gruchy, who bred 2000 winner Brew.
Sentimental money is on big Kiwi hopes Who Shot Thebarman and Lucia Valentina is likely to help boost nationwide TAB betting past last year's record $9.3million, but Mr De Gruchy also likes Araldo. Its Australia-based NZ trainer, Mike Moroney, trained Brew.
Mr Fleming did some swot, opting first for Protectionist, with top UK jockey Ryan Moore and a handicap well below the 60kg-plus its carried in France.
