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Posted: 2024-09-07 22:23:27

It's not Flemington Racecourse with its high-stakes glitz and glam, but that's what punters love about the Birdsville Races.

The iconic outback event draws a crowd of thousands to the remote town on the edge of the Simpson Desert in far western Queensland.

Travellers of all ages battle the heat, dust and of course flies to watch horses barrel down the iconic dirt racetrack.

A man with a long beard wearing a fly net over his head looks at the camera.

It's a good idea to wear a fly net at the Birdsville Races.  (ABC Western Qld: Peter Quattrocelli)

Last year's Birdsville Cup winner, Neodium, returned with a vengeance this year to achieve a back-to-back win on Saturday. 

Despite crowd and entrant numbers not yet returning to pre-COVID levels, the two-day race meet is still a bucket list item for people across the country.

Racegoers come from far and wide

Best friends Monique Morris and Stacey Layton travelled 19 hours from Bundarra in New South Wales on a spontaneous trip they are hoping to turn into an annual tradition.

Two girls wearing metallic sparkly tops and skirts cheers their plastic wine glasses in front of a dirt racetrack.

Monique Morris and Stacey Layton love going to country races. (ABC Western Qld: Peter Quattrocelli)

"We love going to country races. We're from a really small town and there's not much else to do," Ms Layton said.

"From the moment we left, the experiences along the way have been the highlight and as soon as we got here everyone's just here to have a really good time," Ms Morris said.

Sydneysider Tom Miles and his mates were celebrating the 'Festival of Tom'.

The group will spend six weeks travelling around the country for his 60th birthday.

Man stands back to the camera with people surrounding him pointing to shirt that says 'go on then.'

Tom Miles's 60th birthday celebrations include shirts and hats with his face all over them.  (ABC Western Qld: Peter Quattrocelli)

"A lot of sightseeing, drinking and spending money in regional Australia," Mr Miles said

It's not only racegoers who have travelled extensively for the event.

Many of the 71 horses that competed over two days in 13 races have also been tested on the road to Birdsville.

Winning horse Neodium and his fellow racehorse Trumpsta made the trek from Adelaide. 

A man hold the reins of two horses in front of stables

Assistant trainer Tommy Stokes says winner Neodium (left) and fellow racehorse Trumpsta are best mates.  (Supplied: Matt Williams)

"These two love each other and hate to be apart," the pair's assistant trainer, Tommy Stokes, said.

"I'm glad they travelled up together because I don't think they'd perform if they weren't side by side."

Cost of living bites

More than 3,000 people came through the gates for this year's races.

Man wearing big hat and moustache dancing infront of a crowd.

Some come for the races and some come for the trackside frivolities.  (Supplied: Matt Williams)

Birdsville Race Club vice president Gary Brook is a driving force behind the ambitious race meet.

"There's no doubt that cost of living is biting with interest rates and the cost of fuel," he said.

Gary Brook leans on a fence at the Birdsville Race track.

Gary Brook says the cost of living is having an impact on the races. (ABC Western Qld: Peter Quattrocelli)

"It's also affecting some of the trainers that have been coming to Birdsville in the past that are struggling with staffing … that's a problem across the country."

Blackall-based horse trainer David Rewald opted for a race meet in Emerald instead this weekend.

The former jockey last took horses out to Birdsville in 2021, and said this year it wasn't worth the cost.

Horses barreling out of the starting gates on a dirt track, dust flies behind them.

This year's field of horses was smaller than in previous years.  (Supplied: Matt Williams)

"You also need to have someone at home to look after the ones you don't take," he said.

Mr Rewald said it was becoming more difficult to find training staff. 

"I just think there aren't as many horsey people around as there used to be."

Lifeblood for the community

Events such as the races are critical for small businesses in Birdsville. 

For Thiwi Rowlands, who runs a cafe with her family, a slow tourist season has taken its toll.

Thiwi Rowlands stands infront of a coffee machine.

Thiwi Rowlands' cafe in Birdsville has been full of racegoers, providing a welcome boost to business. (ABC Western Qld: Peter Quattrocelli)

"It's affected us, our business hugely," she said. 

"If the numbers drop anymore, it's a bit scary."

But over the past couple of days, the small cafe has been full with racegoers. 

"We do want to share our community with our visitors ... that's what we love to do," Ms Rowlands said.

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