THE big wet that hit Flemington on Victoria Derby day last Saturday week and stayed through to Tuesday meant the crowds numbers over the four days - 353,178 - were the lowest since 2001, reports The Age.It says: While the weather was certainly a valid excuse for lower attendances over the first two days, the one day that does appear to be slipping is Oaks day. Just 75,088 - the lowest total for the four days - attended Oaks day in a continuation of the downward trend that goes back to 2004 when
THE big wet that hit Flemington on Victoria Derby day last Saturday week and stayed through to Tuesday meant the crowds numbers over the four days - 353,178 - were the lowest since 2001, reports The Age.
It says: While the weather was certainly a valid excuse for lower attendances over the first two days, the one day that does appear to be slipping is Oaks day. Just 75,088 - the lowest total for the four days - attended Oaks day in a continuation of the downward trend that goes back to 2004 when a record 110,677 came to watch the fillies' classic.
In 2006, the numbers were still good at 104,131 but since then the day has lost some of its popularity dropping to 95,230 in 2007, to 89,338 in 2008 and 80,112 last year Oaks day is, of course, the only day of the four not run on a Saturday or public holiday so maybe the Oaks-day ''sickie'' is a thing of the past.
The Derby-day crowd of 90,361 was the lowest for more than a decade but the Melbourne Cup's 110,223 was the highest since the 2003 record of 122,736.