We had a really good day at Tauranga Races today. It is free to go in and is quite small, not at all like Newmarket! There doesn't appear to be much money in racing here in NZ as the facilities, for both horses and the public, are pretty basic. That said we really enjoyed the day and it had a very good, friendly atmosphere. Picking three winners and a third may have had something to do with it!
When we arrived we were one of the first cars in the car park and there were no miles of traffic waiting to get in. We were too early as we thought the first race started at 11.30 but in actual fact it was 12.30! We had a good look around and were able to go and see the horse being unloaded and put into the holding stalls and it was all very friendly. There was no "high fashion" and no prize for "best dressed" but most people had made an effort and looked smart and for the first time in NZ I saw lots of men wearing suits with ties.
The food was basic, pies, sandwiches and the main course was - two pieces of sliced bread, roast beef and gravy and a salad, all on one plate! We had pies! Alcohol is only allowed in the bars and no drinks are allowed on the stands. There was no rowdy or drunk people, just all good fun. I think next time we will bring a picnic.
There were eight races and televised races from other courses in between. We had to ask the lady on the tote how it worked and confessed to her that we were from Newmarket, England but didn't have the foggiest idea how to put a bet on in NZ. She was very helpful and we opted for $5 each race which is called a "two on three" which is a two for a win and three on a place!!!!!! I left the mathematics to Jon. We chose the horses if we liked the names or the colours the jockeys wore and we did OK - more than paid for our day making a profit of $15 - beginners luck!
The last race was at 4.25 and we were back in our house at 4.50!
It's roast lamb for dinner tonight what a way to end a good day!
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