The first of the Outback & Flinders Ranges Cups was up for grabs on Saturday 27 May. The annual Hawker Cup was a resounding success with the majority of the town, and plenty of travellers, in attendance for the 2023 instalment of the Hawker Cup.
Set against the stunning back drop of the Flinders Ranges, the crowd flowed in eagerly ahead of Race 1, with many punters staking out prime position or claiming a converted table with views of the finishing post. Excitement built ahead of Race 1 with the annual Hawker Cup Calcutta. Punters entered into the Calcutta in syndicates, whilst the host of the Calcutta auctioned off each horse in the Cup race to the highest bidding syndicate. A sight to behold as syndicates battled it out, trying to outbid one another to claim the favourites as the auctioneer hit fine form, reminiscent of a livestock action.
A true country race day drew the community together to watch the five-race card run around the red dirt track. It was a day dominated by apprentice jockeys, with three of the five races claimed by apprentices and second place in every race claimed by an apprentice too.
Alice Springs based apprentice Dakota Gillett claimed her second ever South Australian winner in Race 2 aboard Bryan Holtham trained Family Ties. In Race 3, apprentice Zoe Lloyd in the saddle on Stake a Claim demonstrated excellent skill and timed her run to perfection to take out the win, continuing her strong form in country races around the state.
All eyes were on Race 4 when the ten horse field competed for the 2023 Northpoint Toyota Hawker Cup. Run over 1750 meters, the distance gave the punters on the fence a good look at the field as they passed the finishing post before completing a full lap of the track. The Cup was up for grabs as the field came round the home turn, with a number of them in a strong position. Apprentice Rochelle Milnes put in a commanding performance on the outside, finding some firmer ground to pull ahead and win the 2023 Hawker Cup aboard Jamcra, trained by Garret Lynch.
Whilst there was plenty of action and excitement on track, there was plenty happening off the track at the family and community focused Hawker Cup. For children there was an abundance of activities including face painting, games and a bouncy castle!
Another feature of the day was Fashion at the Races. Four categories were up for grabs with the competition kicking off with children’s Best Dressed Category. This was followed by the Best Dressed Gentleman category where the competition was fierce as a number of the entrants showed strong form. The final two categories were the Best Millinery and Best Dressed Lady, where autumnal colours were on full display.
The 2023 Hawker Cup was a brilliant community day of well contested racing and fantastic off track fun. The countdown is already on for the 2024 Hawker Cup! Make sure you don’t miss out next year!
Check out some of the snaps from the day…
