The Ballarat Turf Club has reported 11,233 patrons came through the doors on Saturday, a jump of over 1000 on last year’s number despite rain in the morning. 

Club CEO Lachlan McKenzie said on Saturday the hype around Michelle Payne and Darren Weir following their Melbourne Cup win had interested a bigger crowd in the event. 

““I’m sure the local connections to the Melbourne Cup and general interest in the racing community spilled over into Ballarat Cup Day,” he said.   

Reflecting on the numbers on Wednesday, he said there was room for improvement again. 

“We are delighted with the growth in attendance and turnover, and thank Racing Victoria and Magic Millions for the adjustments to our racing program which resulted in outstanding race fields,” he said. 

“We are determined to grow the event further and showcase the outstanding track and facilities here at Sportsbet-Ballarat.” 

According to Racing Victoria, betting grew in line with crowd figures. 

The total wagering turnover was $34 million, 9.1 per cent higher than last year. 

The real jump came on two years ago, which saw a total wagering turnover of only $12.7 million. 

With 135 starters, the 2015 Ballarat Cup meeting had the largest fields in many years. Prior to scratchings all fields were at capacity and 8 of the 10 races had emergencies. The number of starters represented an increase of 25% on 2014 and 38% on 2013.