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#WAGGAGOLDCUP NEED TO KNOW
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Admission is $25. Under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Race times: 12.30pm, 1.05pm, 1.45pm, 2.20pm, 2.55pm, 3.35pm, 4.10pm, 4.50pm
Official program can be found here.
Parking is available in the Travers Street car park and shuttle buses will take patrons from their cars to the entrance throughout the day. For the footsore, shuttle buses will also return patrons to their vehicles after the races. Entry to the Slocum Street car park will be from Kincaid Street.
Fashions on the Field entries open at 11am and close at 1pm. Judging begins in front of the grandstand at 1.15pm. There are five categories up for grabs with a $16,500 prize pool.
- Lady of the Day
- Man of the Day
- Stylish couple
- Millinery award
- Young contemporary
GETTING HERE
A $5 each way fare gets racegoers from the CBD and suburbs to the MTC.
Buses and taxis will drop racegoers at the Slocum Street entrance. Slocum Street will be open only to public transport, residents and horse transport vehicles.
LIVE TRACKSIDE
5.30pm: And we’re done for this year. Keep an eye on the Daily Advertiser website for all the rundown of today’s races.
5pm: And the eighth and last race of the day has been won by Greipel.
Chosen Prayer, To a Degree and Thelittleracketeer round out the four.
4.45pm: Five minutes to go until the last race, then it’s all over for another year.
But things aren’t looking good for one of the Cup runners.
4.35pm: And now the formalities.
4.20pm: And it’s a Messene win! The favourite never looked to be worried, taking the 2016 Wagga Gold Cup by two lengths.
Running in second was well-priced Iggi Pop and Adirondack, another early favourite, placed third in a photo finish.
4.05pm: Five minutes until the cup! The lawn is filling as people get ready for the race that stops the city.
3.55pm: It might be the first carnival in about 45 years without Bede Murray but it did not stop his colours from dominating Wagga Gold Cup day.
After a winner on Town Plate day, the Murray stable continued their charge with a winning double on Cup day.
Paul Murray, who now runs the stable, dedicated this carnival to his late father and he could not have been prouder to grab three wins over the two big days.
3.38pm: The photo finish has been settled – John Kissick steered Oh So Unfair to take third.
3.37pm: Invincible Knight has edged out Direct Strategy to take the Wagga Guineas. Photo third – bear with us while we await the result.
3.30pm: We’re getting down to the pointy end of today, with just one race to go until the massive Wagga Gold Cup.
The money appears to be with Invincible Knight, Challenge Accepted and Direct Strategy leading into race six, the Wagga Guineas.
Here’s what the tipsters have to say.
3.25pm: Legendary race caller Alan Hull is overseeing spectators yet again at this year’s Gold Cup, projecting his “golden voice” for a 37th year.
And the veteran announcer has told The Daily Advertiser his secret to capturing the spirit of racing’s most memorable moments. Find out here
3.15pm: Everyone's looking very snazzy down at the track.
Our snappers are still out hunting for the hot 100 and a stack of social photos.
3pm: Erika has taken the win in a thrilling finish to the fifth race, with Martha Mary just a hair behind.
After a photo finish, Asunder placed third.
And over at the fashions, Lady of the Day has been crowned.
2.54pm: Just seconds away from race five. Here’s the latest for the big race.
2.35pm: We’ve got some updates from the fashions on the field arena. There’s been a strong field of fashionistas and dapper gents in the running for race day glory.
2.25pm: Coolotta has survived a late charged by Le Cavalier to take the fourth race. Photo third.
2.05pm: The mayor’s lodged his tip for the big race.
2pm: This just in from photographer Les Smith.
1.50pm: If you had the money on For Me Dad, Termele and Nights on Fire for the race three trifecta, you’d be in for a win.
For Me Dad took out the race by a length and three-quarters.
1.35pm: Journalist Amelia Mills is at the fashions on the field, joined by photographer Kieren Tilly.
Here’s a peek at the action.
1.25pm: Everyone is looking very dapper today.
The first of the fashions on the field will be under way shortly.
1.15pm: Miss Falsified has claimed the honours in the second of the eight races at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club today.
Brendan Ward steered the win, with Stratum’s Siren and Perash rounding out the three.
1.05pm: Reports that traffic is a bit of a nightmare, with cars backed up over the Gobbagombalin Bridge.
1pm: Five minutes to go until race two kicks off.
Sport editor Matt Malone’s got the money on Delivered, Stratum’s Siren, Lots Of ‘Em and Miss Falsified in his top four picks.
12.45pm: If you want to enter the Fashions on the Field, there’s just 15 minutes until the cut-off for entries.
Judging begins in front of the grandstand at 1pm.
12.37pm:
Swift Reply has taken out the first race, with Attainment and Earless hot on its heels for the Maiden Plate (1200m).
12.25pm: Five minutes until the first race!
12.05pm: The first race is just 25 minutes away. If you’ve been looking for tips on who to back today, then you’ve come to the right spot.
Here’s what our experts had to say about the cream of today’s crop.
Best of luck! Don’t forget – gamble responsibly.
11.45am: It has been a long journey, but Wagga trainer Peter Churche and good mates Robert Radley and Bill Day will enjoy their first Gold Cup starter in Friday’s $150,000 feature race.
Churche, a retired shearer, trains just the one horse from his Crampton Street stables but on Friday he will be pitted up against names the likes of Waller, Hawkes and Cummings in the Wagga Gold Cup. Continue reading
11.30am: Advertiser journalist Amelia Mills asked the big questions yesterday to pull together the insiders survival guide on what to wear, how to bet, how to get there and how to skip the painfully long toilet queues on Gold Cup Day.
10.45am: If you haven’t seen the field for the big race yet, here’s how it looks.
10.30am: Well the gates are open and we’re ready to roll.
It seems punters are waiting to unleash on their tips today, with TAB media manager Glenn Munsie last night saying there hadn’t been much movement.
The most money up until Thursday night had come for Messene, Adirondack and Rhodin Drive. Messene is the $3.20 favourite.
10am: Good morning and welcome to the Daily Advertiser’s 2016 Wagga Gold Cup live blog. We’ll be bringing you updates from the track today.
We’re in for a sunny day here in the City of Good Sports, with a top of 24 degrees predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology. Perfect racing weather.
Our racing guru and sport editor Matt Malone will be joined by photographers Les Smith, Kieren Tilly and Laura Hardwick, and journalists Declan Rurenga, Amelia Mills, Jack Morphet and Rowan Forster to bring you the best rolling coverage of Wagga’s biggest day of the year.
Keep an eye out for the snappers – don’t be afraid to pull them up for a photo – and of course they’ll be tackling one of the big highlights of the day: the Wagga Gold Cup Hot 100.
Thanks to Audi Centre Wagga, the winner of this year’s Hot 100 will receive the Audi experience: including a free test drive of a luxury vehicle followed by dinner for two at Bolton on the Park (valued at $200) and a bottle of 2006 Moet (valued at $250). You can check out the 2015 Hot 100 here.
And if you’re on social media, here’s how you contact us to join in the #waggagoldcup coverage. Add dailyadvertiser on Snapchat, @dailyadvertiser on Twitter and Instagram or follow us on Facebook.
READ UP
SURVIVING WAGGA’S GOLD CUP: With Wagga’s Gold Cup finally here, many will be wondering how to make the most of the city’s biggest social event. Here’s your insiders survival guide to what to wear, how to bet, how to get there and how to skip the painfully long toilet queues.
PUNTERS WAITING UNTIL LAST MINUTE: Challenge Accepted is the best backed runner at TAB heading into Gold Cup day.
MATHRICK’S MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB: Victorian raider Adirondack is poised to snare a major end of the prize in Friday’s $150,000 Quest Apartments Hotels Wagga Gold Cup.
THIS ONE’S FOR DAD: Kembla Grange trainer Paul Murray has dedicated this year’s carnival to his late father Bede. For the first time in more than 40 years, there will be no Bede Murray at this year’s Wagga Gold Cup carnival after his passing in March.
Characters and calcuttas kick off carnival: I still don’t know whether he was more brickie than bookie, let alone what to back. But I think he knew something.
WALLER RUNNERS DOWN TO JUST TWO: Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller has scratched top weight Index Linked from Friday’s $150,000 Wagga Gold Cup.