Cup day racegoers take on Randwick bookies

Melbourne has woken up to a public holiday, but bright blue skies and warm weather has drawn thousands of Sydneysiders away from work to enjoy the Melbourne Cup.

Punters walked straight through the front gates of Randwick to the betting ring on Tuesday morning to have their chance at a winning ticket for the Melbourne Cup as well as local Sydney races.

Bookie Bill Murphy has been working in the betting ring for more than 28 years and said he has backed horses in the cup for as long as he could remember.

“I always bet on the Cup, I have been doing so for 60 to 70 years,” Murphy told AAP.

While Hartnell remains the favourite and Oceanographer a popular pick, Murphy was confident in backing Exospheric and Qewy.

“Qewy because it is from Ireland and that is where I am from,” he said.

While Murphy joked the Irish luck could help pay back owed money, he insisted he would indulge in a luxurious drop if he left the races with full pockets.

“If I win today, I will have a very good bottle of red.”

For first time racegoers, Murphy suggested to back Radcliffe in race six at Randwick.

“That one is for any Harry Potter fans,” another bookie added.

First time racegoer Jann Williams and friend Helen Kleydish arrived at the track with a plan of attack.

“We have been very meticulous,” Kleydish said.

“On the train in we have gone through anyone who won a distance and where they came from,” she said

The duo too come from an Irish background and placed three bets on the Cup: Hartnell, Heart Break City and Wicklow Brave.

“We are going to try and get the trifecta,” Williams said.

When asked what they would do with the winnings, the pair said they promised to buy a Legacy badge.

“We told the man if we win we would buy one.”