The bookmakers at Wagga's Gold Cup started the day behind in their takings after the short-odds favourites came through for the punters at Thursday's Town Plate.
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Wagga bookmaker John Patton said he was expecting a lot of business but many were trying to make back the losses from Wagga's previous race meet this week.
"We have had 30 bookies in the past whereas today there are only 18 and the turnover will pretty good, but [yesterday] the punters got the bookies," he said.
"They backed most winners and I think most bookies will be trying to get their money back today."
"I think people will want to try their luck again. There have been massive promotions and the [Murrumbidgee Turf] Club has done a great job and the Calcutta was a record, so it's going to be a big day."
Mr Patton said 'Yonkers' as short-odds favourite "will be hard to beat" in the race 7 for the Gold Cup and the best-placed horse from the region was 'Maid of Ore' from Canberra trainer Nick Olive.
The bookmakers probably went on to get a boost from the main event, race 7, where Yonkers ended up third behind Spirit Bridge and Inverloch, a horse that most major betting markets had at between $25 and $35 for the win in the morning.
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David Doyle, 'Curls' and 'Scano', all from Sydney, have been coming to the Wagga Gold Cup every year for the past 20 years and they also backed Yonkers and Maid of Ore.
"We think the favourite will be very hard to beat and has good form at the moment and we are going to have a little bet on one of the locals, Maid of Ore, " Mr Doyle said.
Sharon Ryan, Jackie Baxter and Cathy Johnstone, all from Sydney, had different strategies to pick winning horses from Race 1, the Country Maiden Plate, at the Gold Cup.
Ms Ryan said she "always picks based on names" and picked 'Albert the Cat' as the horse shared a name with her grandfather and 'Mick's Mate' as it shared a name with her brother.
Ms Johnstone said she "follows jockeys" when picking an horse and backed 'I'm Gonna Be' as it was to be ridden by Kathy O'Hara.
Ms Baxter said she backed the horse 'Thieving' as she hoped to "thieve some money back" from the TAB.
The Westside Punters Club also made a return to holding its annual pilgrimage to Wagga, its members standing out from the crowd with their custom-embroidered yellow scarves.
The club's unofficial spokesperson Winston, who asked not to use his last name, said the club started in an "office in Sydney" and the members stayed together as they moved to different workplaces.
Winston said the club did not bet with a syndicate pool but said there was "strong money" on Knights Order for Race 7 as "it's Gai Waterhouse's old horse".
"We meet twice a year: once for the Melbourne Cup and once for the Wagga Gold Cup," he said.
"It's good to be back. I love Wagga, it's my favourite inland city."
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