Mel Bowden had never placed a bet on a horse before. At 47, she had never been to a race day before, but she scanned the form guide with her friend Diane Smyth with a careful eye.
At the edge of the parade ring, she watched as her horse met its jockey and picked out a trifecta.
"The Himalayas, because I want to go there?" she wondered aloud, adding with a smile, "It's all guessing, isn't it."
Ms Smyth travelled from Melbourne to spend the day with her best friend. Ms Bowden lives at Fennell Bay. The pair ultimately backed the Kris Lees-trained local runner, Little Beginnings.
Across the paddock, Fred Hanley had come down from Port Macquarie to spend the holidays among family. He called out to jockey Aaron Bullock as he rode the four-year-old Bay, paying $5 for a win, toward the barriers for the Alan Gollogly memorial handicap.
Hanley had come off a windfall with Tell Me Ma in the first race and had put his money on the local starter in the second after following the jockey online.
"I've actually never met him. I just yelled out, and he waved at us," he said, "He's a good bloke, hey.
"If he wins, you'll see us go off."
It was a storybook finish. After running at third for most of the 1350 metres behind leader Angara, Little Beginnings broke out in the final 200-metre stretch to finish a length ahead of the pack. Hanley and his mate Nat Fox leapt into a cheer at the parade yard fences. Ms Bowden was thrilled.
The races used to be an event for the men, she said later, looking out over a field of finery and fashions; but now it's more of a social event for a younger and more diverse crowd.
"It's very pleasing to win, especially being the Alan Gollogly handicap; he was a mate of ours and a Newcastle Herald columnist back in the day," trainer Kris Lees said moments after the horse crossed the line. Lees, who had brought only one other contender to the local meet on Tuesday - the three-year-old Surreal I Am, also ridden by Bullock to third place in race three - said he was glad to see the crowd turn out for the Boxing Day meet.
"It's always been a big day and always been a good day," he said, "It might not have the huge crowds that we used to have back in the day, but it is still very well received."
About 2600 had made their way through the gates by around 2pm, as one organiser on the gate expected double that number as the day went on. A brief shower sent the humidity soaring as the sun broke through again and hit the turf for a balmy 26-degree afternoon at Broadmeadow.
In the member's pen, the bookies made a steady trade with the punters between the local races and fixtures further abroad. Ian, a veteran bookie with Allan Hincks, who declined to give his last name, started in the business when he was 18. At 61, it's more of a part-time gig and a way to make extra money.
He has seen a steady decline in the crowds for regular track meetings but said the social calendar meetings could still draw a crowd.
While the big-time players still turned out to place their bets at regular meetings, most of the bets he took on Boxing Day were smaller - between $10 and $50. The races are less of a gambling affair these days, he said.
Young Justin Hodges had come out with friends on the lawn by the track for the afternoon. He had moved up from Sydney to live at Fern Bay with his parents and had also made a few dollars on Little Beginnings.
"I put $10 on and got $55 back," he said, "It's a good start ... it's hot, but it's enjoyable and there's a lot of people around; good vibes and good energy."
