In 35 years of taking bets, veteran bookmaker Richard Knight has seen plenty of horses come and go. Winx was the ultimate champion, but for his money, the best was a stripling that came from nowhere and took the world by storm.
As he took bets on the sprawling lawns on Scone Cup day yesterday, he remembered watching Takeover Target win his maiden in Queanbeyan in 2004 and then Wagga only a month later, before going on to win sprints in five major Australian cities.
"Best I have seen," Knight said. "He was owned by a taxi driver who took him from nothing."
Most young punters yesterday picked their horses for the names, Knight said, recalling a young woman who made a tidy sum on a $10 bet in the second race of the day. "I said, 'why are you backing that?'" Knight said. "She said 'Because I can move'. The horse was called Move She Can."
It turned out to be a winning strategy; she took a little over $50 in winnings.
A group of young bucks were celebrating their mate's impending wedding at the Cup. James Chaffey is marrying his fiancé in Newcastle in a little over three weeks. "She's the love of my life," he smiled.
Chaffey and most of his mates grew up in Scone, and the Scone Cup is the biggest day on the local calendar.
Dimity Smith, a former fashions judge, said clean, sleek lines and nods to the cooling season were the predominant themes; felt, leather and muted autumnal tones would surely be favoured by the judges in a step away from the more extravagant tones of spring.
Bartender Joel Moore swaggered through the gates in the early afternoon in a sharp summer suit and loafers from SK Menswear, accompanied by Lexie Meyer, Tameka Shorter and Jarna White. Inside, Brianna Rolls paired a curated and classic seasonal look with a brilliant feathered hat from milliner Kylie Louise Smith.
As the afternoon stretched on, and the social set sprawled on the lawn, the mounting yard filled again with silk for another race.
"This is a huge race day for Scone," she said.
"We have been coming to this track for the last 20-odd years. It's a beautiful day and fashion is really important here."
