GALLERY: Top End Families enjoy the Chief Minister's Cup Day
Fashions on the field got a lot smaller on Saturday, as Territory kids put on their finest fascinators for the racing festivities. SEE ALL THE PHOTOS AND RACE RESULTS
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The fascinators and frocks were extra dainty at the track, as Territory kids strutted their stuff on the fashions on the field stage for Chief Minister’s Cup Day.
With all four of her daughters dressed in dainty racing frocks, Krystal Ronayne joked “they’re my dolls”.
The Darwin mother said she had been sewing dressed for her four little ones ever since her eldest — 13-year-old Evangelina — was in nappies.
“I just do this for fun,” Ms Ronayne said.
“Ever since they were born I’ve been sewing.”
She said the design and creation process for the dresses for her two eldest girls, Evangelina and 10-year-old Lucinda, took two days each.
Three-year-old Izannah proudly said her psychedelic coloured dress took her mother just one afternoon to craft.
The Ronayne sisters were not the only tiny fashionistas for the at the at the Darwin Turf Club event on Saturday, July 15.
Hundreds of Territorians brought their little ones down to the family day event, to sit back and enjoy the races as the kids made the most of the inflatable obstacle course, face painting, petting zoo and fairy floss.
Meanwhile in the racing, Noir De Rue, aided by a ten-out-of-ten ride from jockey Vanessa Arnott, proved too strong winning the $60,000 Asian United Food Service Chief Minister’s Cup.
The ROANT Cup winner backed up with another dominant display and will now be among the favourites for the upcoming $200,000 Great Northern Darwin Cup.
The Jason Manning trained eight-year-old placed third and fourth in the past two Darwin Cups began well out of the gates and slotted third going round the bend.
Still trailing on the home turn Arnott moved her mount into a challenging position and was able to take control with 250m to go and ultimately winning by close to three lengths.
Manning and Arnott doubled up on the day after Motivated Miss produced a strong effort to score in the Merit Partners Maiden Plate (1200m).
The duo of Gary Clarke and Jarrod Todd also had a successful day winning the AFA Insurance Brokers Handicap with Desert Dreamer while Doc O’Connor triumphed in the Sunbuild Pty Ltd Handicap.
The pair completed their hat-trick of wins with Change Is Coming winning the FRM Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Handicap (1000m) coming just .10sec away from breaking the track record.
Other winners included the Chloe Baxter trained To The Point ridden by Paul Shiers in race one, while the partnership of Shelia Arnold and Mark Pegus closed out the day with Qualis.
IN PICTURES: Chief Ministers Cup Day 2023
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