Organisers of the try-outs for this year's Fashfest said the model calling at the East Hotel in Kingston was the biggest for a single event in the nation's capital, and the adjudicators had a difficult job as the young women - and handful of men - battled for a chance to wear the new clothes at this year's festival.

Judge Belinda Riding, who launched what became an international modelling career in Canberra 27 years ago, said the impressive response reflected the positive reaction to the 2013 event and rare chance at a unique life.

''It's an incredible opportunity for those young models - there's some models here who haven't been discovered yet,'' Ms Riding said.

Fellow judge and Fashfest co-founder Andrea Hutchinson said there were 161 people registered minutes before the first walks began, and about 40 would be selected for the four-night event starting on April 30.

''I want the models to model on all four nights [this year] - it's more exposure, better for me, better for them,'' she said.

Carryn Louise Jack, one of the experienced models, said last year's event had led her back from Sydney to her birth city Canberra. Her advice to the many teenagers at the event beginning modelling was to be confident. ''Chin up, eyes forward - like a piece of string [is] pulling towards the ceiling,'' she said.

''Things can be learnt, it doesn't matter if you don't know what the walk is all about, but confidence and personality is important.''

At the same time at Thoroughbred Park, Emily Dibden was announced as the Myer Face of Canberra Racing.

Ms Dibden, 20, a model and dance teacher, was chosen from 16 other women to take home more than $15,000 in cash and prizes, and will be the ambassador for 12 months.

Her first official duty will be to judge the Myer fashions on the field competition at the Black Opal Stakes on March 9.