A record number of Fashions on the Field competitors and sold-out social events were the behind-the-scenes successes of a two-day stellar 64th Cairns Amateurs Carnival at Cannon Park.
In what was his first Cairns Amateurs Cup win, trainer Fred Wieland applauded jockey Jason Taylor (pictured winning) for capturing Saturday’s $150,000 Great Northern Brewing Co Cairns Amateurs Cup on seven-year-old Star Status.
While the weekend’s winners on the racetrack and Fashions on the Field were jubilant there was much excitement in general at Cannon Park delivering a total prize packet of $642,000 shared across 16 races run over two days.
Between the Captain Morgan Tropical Fashion High Tea with 47 competitors competing for Myer Cairns’ prizes worth $2500, Cairns Central Fashions on the Field generated a further 143 competitors over two days and shared $30,000 of prizes across eight categories.
Competitors travelled from NSW, ACT, Victoria, and New Zealand to strut the catwalk.
In a Cairns Amateurs Carnival first, Saturday’s judges awarded Best Dressed Couple, Chloe Fegatilli and Brendan Soderberg the overall Carnival Champions with a Magic Millions prize experience courtesy of TAB.
Fashion judges Emma Scodellaro, Hamish Lardi, Annabel Falco, and Cathryn Meredith said the fashion over three days (winners pictured) represented an extremely high standard, sophistication, and quality of workmanship.
In his second carnival at the helm, Cairns Amateurs Carnival President David Goodman complimented event management, led by Victoria and Mark Jennings, and the committee whose arduous work culminated in sell-out and highly praised marquee events across three days.
“The Carnival was well subscribed across the board with both high tea and ball events a sellout and a boost in numbers through the gate across both days,” Mr Goodman said.
Mr Goodman said this year’s fundraising partner, Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation benefited greatly, including more than $15,000 raised in raffles, $6000 in auction items and food sales.
“The return to spring racing and the Cairns Amateurs has been embraced by Far North Queenslanders along with large numbers of interstate visitors, proves the event’s intergenerational appeal is at an all-time high,” he said.
“Cairns Amateurs Carnival is very special and is an iconic event that showcases Far North Queensland’s spirited trifecta of fun, fashion and racing.
* The 65th Cairns Amateurs Carnival will take place 7-9 September 2023.