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More than 4600 people flowed through the gates for Saturday's Myer Dubbo Derby Day and almost half a million dollars was gambled on the event, with organisers hailing it a rousing success.
Dubbo Turf Club general manager Mark Day said the club was thrilled with the attendance and the betting figures. He said on-track betting in particular was very strong.
A total of $497,000 was put down on the six race meeting.
"The crowd was good, our gate takings were healthy, the betting was good and overall the day went really well," Mr Day said.
“Talking to bookmakers they were very pleased. We had 19 bookmakers there and one who would normally only take about $3000 went home with more than $9000 in his pocket.”
Myer Dubbo Fashions on the Field was popular, with more people than ever entering the event. Mark McMullan was the men’s winner, while Sara Jackson was judged best-dressed lady.
“We had record entries there. Young people dress up really well and like to be part of that. That’s always an extremely popular part of the day,” Mr Day said. After establishing itself as one of the biggest days on Dubbo’s social calendar, much effort went into ensuring the event ran smoothly.
“We bussed people into the track and bussed them out at the end. The taxis also did a pretty good trade.”
Police said they were pleased with the crowd’s behaviour, with just one fight early in the day and a few cases of intoxication. Mr Day also said about 20 people were thrown out for being under 18. An initiative Dubbo Turf Club used to ensure everyone stayed healthy was distributing bottled water.
“It was a hot day so we gave out water in the crowd to ensure everyone stayed hydrated. We had one pallet and gave all that out so we went into town and got another one,” Mr Day said. “We finished the day with about 50 bottles of water left over.”
“We also ran out of ice so we had to get another 720 bags.
“I have meetings where we have a total of three or four bar staff whereas for this event we have 70 staff. They have all done a hospitality course and have their RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) and they handled the pressure of the busy day very well.”
The club will now turn its attention to the Daily Liberal Melbourne Cup meeting tomorrow.
“We gave the track a hit of water on Saturday night and will give it another one on Monday night and the track will be back to its best,” Mr Day said.
“We have got a reputation for having the best track in the region. It was the worst five years ago but a lot of work has gone into it to get it where it is now.”
