Kosciuszko slot holder Pat Lonergan was incredibly disappointed at the service he received on Everest Day.
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The group of 10 men from Glen Innes and surrounds had swapped their jeans for suits and a slick of pomade and drove the nearly six hours to Randwick Racecourse on Saturday.
It was supposed to be a fun-filled day of horse racing excitement for the group who had won a once-in-a-lifetime slot in the Kosciusko, a 1200m sprint for country-trained horses ahead of the TAB Everest.
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But the situation turned sour shortly after they arrived.
VIP treatment was nowhere to be found as guests of Racing NSW, instead, they were ushered to sit in the general public area without shade under the blaring sun.
And though they were handed three complimentary craft Furphy beer vouchers each, it was an insult to Lonergan and his mates who drink XXXX Gold beer; a popular choice in rural NSW.
It ruined an otherwise special day.
Racing NSW spokesperson Scott Kennedy said the area outside was a "reasonably good location for tables and chairs".
He said he tried to source umbrellas for the group but it was a busy day with more people than they expected.
About 46,221 people attended the Everest, making it a 50-year record attendance for racegoer numbers at Royal Randwick.
"I do agree we certainly should have had more shade available for them," Kennedy said.
"And if they went elsewhere later on in the day and into the Members that might have been more comfortable for them."
But Lonergan said he was not told they had access to the Members' Area until one of his mates approached him in the late afternoon.
By that time, most of the group had gone to the pub, leaving the racecourse before watching the Clayton Douglas-trained three-year-old gelding Gigakick win the $15m Everest race about 4:15pm.
"It was hot and they couldn't even get a drink," Lonergan said.
Chief among their complaints were lengthy waiting times of up to half an hour or more just to use the toilet or buy refreshments.
"That was the worst experience I've had trying to get drinks out of all the times I've been there," Lonergan said.
"I tell you that it was a struggle by the end.
"We weren't very happy with it."
It was a sentiment shared by rural NSW trainer Luke Clarke among many others, who said there were too many people for the services that were available.
"We had to line up for about 45 minutes to go to the toilet and to the bar to get a beer and all that sort of thing," the Braidwood trainer said.
The Australian Turf Club acknowledged they had challenges with queuing, especially in public areas due to strong attendance.
The ATC will be using the feedback to further develop the site and experiences for racegoers while they conduct reviews and begin planning for Everest 2023, they said in a statement to The Armidale Express.
Racing NSW said a lack of available hospitality staff, state laws and regulations about where they can and cannot serve alcohol on the grounds meant they were also limited by what they could provide.
But all was not downbeat on the day for Pat Lonergan who managed to place a couple of winning bets... and some losing punts.
He did his best rendition of Neil Diamond's 1969 hit Sweet Caroline with his crew and 50,000 others as the song blasted over the loudspeakers.
"It was just mad, everyone really was just going berserk," Lonergan said.
"Everybody got dressed up to the nines but there were a few messy people by the end of it."
Clarke trained the Glen Innes' group's chosen horse Testator Silens for their slot in barrier five in the Kosciuszko.
Their first choice was the favourite-to-win Brett Cavanough-trained It's Me.
But the mare was deemed unfit to race a day before the event by vets after pulling up lame following a stone bruise the previous week.
The Corowa-based country trainer Geoff Duryea's gelding Front Page took home the winners' loot.
The group had earlier expressed their disappointment about It's Me being scratched from the race, marring an otherwise more exciting lead-up to the event.
Testator Silens placed 12th among the field of 14 in the world's richest race for country-trained horses on the day.
Clarke said the five-year-old Silent Witness gelding raced a bit below expectations.
"He got a bit tired, he was pushed out a bit wide on the run and had to run three-deep throughout the race," Clarke said.
"He knocked up the last 100 metres and then that was the end of the race."
The six-year-old gelding is next scheduled to race on the first Saturday of November.
"I put him in his little paddock today. And he had a bit of a kick and a buck and a play around. So he's onwards and upwards," Clarke said.
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