Sapphire Coast Turf Club was filled with thousands of people wearing a whole spectrum of colours and outrageous Hawaiian prints during the 149th two-day Bega Cup Carnival over February 3 and 4.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
There were turquoise blue flamingoes, a number of fruit-inspired shirts with mangoes, bananas and watermelon, sunrises and sunsets with the signature palm tree, glittery cowgirl hats, and even custom-made floral prints adorned with stable names.
![Nicole and Chris from Mirador (and Geelong) looking to back a winning horse. Picture by James Parker Nicole and Chris from Mirador (and Geelong) looking to back a winning horse. Picture by James Parker](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/205490442/90f7f971-f8bd-4f54-95ab-bbed06844543.JPG/r0_361_4032_2621_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Rob Tweedie, the Sapphire Coast Turf Club CEO, said the turnout for the event was really good, and shared how attendance to the Bega Cup had risen yearly with more than 1000 present over both race days.
"Day two is usually the big day, I was actually expecting a little more on the second day, but the weather being quite hot in the low 30s may have kept a few people at the beach," Mr Tweedie said.
"The Bega Cup now being an $80,000 race just attracted an outstanding field of runners, very competitive race, so any of the horses that conducted the race could have won it, it wouldn't have surprised me."
It was an emotional win during Sunday's Bega Cup race when South Coast trainer Paul Murray followed in his late father's footsteps, taking the title in the feature race with 'Winning Point.'
The son of a previous two-time Bega Cup winner and trainer Bede Murray who won in 1983 for 'Stealing' and in 2015 for 'Life Of Reilly,' Paul said it was a really good result, but his eyes were now in preparations for the $3million Big Dance.
South Coast trainers Barbara Joseph, along with her sons Paul and Matt Jones were successful with three of their horses on Bega Cup Day, securing wins with Zelago, I'm A Steel, and Blood Ties.
![Barbara Joseph wearing Hawaiian hat and lei during Bega Cup's Saturday themed day. Picture by James Parker Barbara Joseph wearing Hawaiian hat and lei during Bega Cup's Saturday themed day. Picture by James Parker](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/205490442/78ee7f60-988e-4126-80f3-bf4bd6d5b6b8.JPG/r0_350_4032_2610_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"[In] the Cup, our horse [One Aye] ran an excellent race just couldn't get through, thought she ran second or third, but ended up fourth, was a very good run in a very fast run race," Barbara said, "I was very happy with her."
"Each year [the Bega Cup's] got bigger and bigger, and we have a lot of owners turn up, and every year we're getting more owners there, club's getting bigger and stronger, and the committee are putting on a great show.
"It's getting to be like a, 'Everybody wants to come to the Bega Cup Carnival,' and next year is going to be our 150th year, and we'll be really putting in and getting in to it next year to get a lot more people here."