Moranbah Cattleman's Cup Race Day

DAY 8: February 25th, Moranbah Races

Moranbah race course only has two race days a year. One in November that is organised by Andy’s employer Moranbah North Coal – a very posh affair with seafood buffet and free champagne, and the second in February organised by BMA Coal (the other main mining owner here). It was very lucky therefore that it dropped on that mum, dad and Kate were here for the BMA race day, so I had told them to bring their racing attire with them.
Andy took his last shift off work today to go to a football tournament up in Ayr for the weekend with his team from Mackay, so he was absent from the race day crowds – the bookies will have made a noticeable loss.
We all got dressed up and prepared for a hot, dusty, drunken day watching the donkey, er horse racing. We had packed an esky with wine, alcopops and cider as we were told that you were allowed to bring in anything but beer – which the bar was serving. However, a pig-faced jobsworth security guard wouldn’t allow me any cider in because he couldn’t understand that it was different to beer (they are not big on cider over here). Alcopops also were banned, so we ended up with our two bottles of wine. Downer number two was the fact that the first race had been advertised in some places as being an hour and a half earlier than it actually was. So for possibly the first time in our family history, we were actually early!
For those who missed my write-up on the November race day, Moranbah races consists of a total of 6 horses of questionable abilty and a distinct lack of any kind of form, swapping names (opinion of author, not fact) and rotating ex-rugby-players-turned-jockeys and race colours for each of the five races which are run on a sand pit bordered by white brittle ‘grass’ and watched by a complete range of people ranging from those dressed up to the nines(*) to those still in work overalls or shorts and thongs. This may sound very cynical of me, but it is all meant extremely affectionately! It is a great day out – and a day is what you make of it after all!
This race day was nowhere near as posh nor as busy as the November one, but there was still a good turn out, and about 6 bookies vying for our money as the odds fluctuated wildy. It was however very hot and very windy which is not the best combination when you are in the middle of a field that hasn’t seen rain for about 5 months. Ironically, Dusty Daniel won the last race and claimed a hefty $5200 for his efforts!
We were going to stay for the disco at the race course that evening, until one of my colleagues told us that the DJ was his mate and he would be mostly playing alternative house music. Everyone was itching to see our local pub The Black Nugget, and although I had warned them that this was not the most glamorous of drinking hostelries, we went for a drink there that evening. Needless to say, it wasn’t too long before we returned home!

*)This phrase dates from the 18th century, first reported in 1787 in the form 'Twad please me to the nine.' The dressed is a later addition, so the nine does not necessarily refer exclusively to clothing. The phrase is also often seen as up to the nines.
One explanation is that nine, in some numerological systems, connotes perfection. So that dressed to the nines means that you have achieved sartorial perfection.Another explanation which relates more to clothing is that this saying refers to the amount of fabric required to make a quality suit - nine yards. This may seem like a lot of fabric, but enables the tailor to cut all the pieces in the same direction.