A New Zealand horse won the main prize at the annual Millicent Cup Day race meeting at the Allan Scott Racecourse at Glenburnie on Sunday.
Six-year-old gelding Red Patrol successfully crossed the ditch and took his career earnings past $75,000.
It was his fourth win from 12 starts and the most significant of his career.
Trained at Mount Gambier by Wayne Walters and well ridden by his daughter Katie, Red Patrol beat home Victory Bandit, Dr De Dee and seven other runners over the 2050m race.
Having previously won at this course, Red Patrol was popular with punters and started as the favourite at $4.20.
With the assistance of Racing SA, club funds and naming rights sponsor John Chay & Co, the total stake money on offer for the Millicent Cup was a record $40,000.
The Millicent Racing Club conducts one meeting per annum and this was the third consecutive year it has made use of the Mount Gambier facilities.
Backing from Millicent businesses enabled it to run seven races in 2024 and sunny skies added to the ambience of the occasion.
There were no Millicent horses entered in the Millicent Cup field in 2024.
The last Millicent Cup home town runner to salute the judge was General Magic in 2002 and the trainer was “Ned” Walker (now deceased).
As part of the Millicent Cup program, a Calcutta was staged on Friday in the Millicent War Memorial Civic and Arts Centre.
There was also strong support for the sit-down luncheon in the members’ dining room on Cup Day.
In recent years it has been renamed the Redelva Luncheon in honour of Millicent’s greatest horse and a SA Racing Hall of Famer.
As always on Millicent Cup Day, there was great interest in Fashions on the Field.
Past winner Bri Scanlon again claimed first prize ahead of Jamie Siviour and Megan Cheeseman.
