A tartan jacket from a vintage store in Queensland, paired with a wooden cane belonging to his late grandfather, helped Canberra man Joshua Burgess take out the male fashions on the field category at Thoroughbred Park.
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The 27-year-old manager of a gutter cleaning business, Joshua traded in his usual T-shirt and shorts for the vintage jacket, a Zenetti waistcoat and a dark grey fedora, beating 15 other men to win the best dressed title.
"My preparation just came together during the week," Joshua said.
"I got lucky with this outfit, I found this suit jacket while on holiday and it happened to fit me which was really lucky - and then built an outfit from there."
Joshua, also a part-time model with Victoria's Models, said he entered his first fashions on the field competition three years ago and was "instantly hooked".
He said the wooden cane he was carrying yesterday - which featured a gold duck's head and was handed down by his late grandfather - was definitely the accessory that scored him the fashion triumph.
"I think the cane definitely helped," he said.
"I wasn't going to bring it because I thought it might take away too much from my suit but I think it worked out well.
"This is my late grandad's cane so he was definitely giving me a bit of luck today."
Goulburn's Cobie Sheehan, winner of the female fashions on the field category, wore a navy Mosman dress, bright pink heels and a breathtaking pink and gold head piece by Braidwood milliner Kerry McGlone.
An avid event horse rider, Cobie said she loved the races and dressing up.
"It's always good fun at country races, I'm a Goulburn girl so really looking forward to the Goulburn girls day out on Saturday," she said.
But as per the strict fashions on the field rules, she wouldn't dare wear the same outfit again this weekend.
"I like to think if it's had a win then you retire it," Cobie said.
"But my best friend and I swap and change clothes all the time, so it's a good way to recycle outfits."
Thousands of Canberrans donned their favourite race wear and headed to Thoroughbred Park yesterday for the annual Melbourne Cup Day race meet.
The buzz on the day centred around Canberra horse Single Gaze, with people waving Single Gaze promotional flags and entering the Single Gaze selfie competition during the day.
