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It is billed as the Invercargill Melbourne Cup, and the 2020 version was an extreme success in extreme elements, says an organizer of the event.
The Southland Racing Club hosted an annual Christmas at the races at Ascot Park when strong winds, peaking at 89km / h, hit the field and the cold temperatures hovered around 12 degrees.
Southland Racing Club president Sean Bellew said officials had considered suspending horse racing due to the winds.
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Robyn Edie / Stuff
Eighteen-year-old Invercargill at her first Invercargill event in the races at Ascot Park, from left Hannah Corbett, Samantha Faherty, Janelle Tinker, Olivia Cooper, Sarah McLeish and Maia Cavanagh.
But the event continued and was extremely successful, he said.
Some 6,000 tickets were sold in advance and most showed up, including people from as far away as Kaitaia.
After 12 consecutive years of good weather, it was the first bad year, he said.
Robyn Edie / Stuff
People enjoy Christmas at the Ascot Park Raceway races in Invercargill on Saturday.
But Southerners were tough souls and were looking for a party after a rough 2020.
“The reality is that it is the Invercargill Melbourne Cup. It’s an annual event, people have planned for this day … they will definitely come no matter what the elements are. “
I believed that Christmas at the Invercargill races was turning into a racing encounter of destiny.
“I am quite proud of the service we provide during the day. We kept everyone as comfortable as possible. “
The highlight of the day was when champion jockey Chris Johnson equaled New Zealand’s jockeys record for career wins, alongside David Walsh, at 2,451.
Johnson, 56, managed to match Walsh’s mark in the seventh race.
Robyn Edie / Stuff
Race 5 winner Olaf is too good for second place Ying Resolute at the Christmas at the Races meet at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill on Saturday.
The victory came in Point Score, the penultimate race to the meeting.
Bellew said Johnson had been a great server of the South Island races and it was a pleasure that he did it at Invercargill.
Southland Racing Club racing manager Jason Spencer said track stakes totaled $ 180,000 for all eight races compared to just over $ 170,000 across nine races in 2019.
Robyn Edie / Stuff
Marc Rainbow and Jo Stewart, from Auckland visiting family and attending the races at Invercargill on Saturday.
Metservice meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said the temperature ranged from cold 11-13 degrees for most of the afternoon in Invercargill on Saturday, while wind gusts peaked at 89km / h at 4pm and moved a couple of rains.
A police spokeswoman said she had no reports of problems at the event or at establishments in the city afterward.
