HIGH heels and fabulous frocks were out in force yesterday as thousands of punte

Grey skies and heavy rain kept some fans away but those at the track were ready to party, with the Ladies Luncheon marquee filled with champagne and colour.

Splashes of red, white and black proved popular, while striking purple was well represented in dresses, fascinators and shoes.

Many women adapted to the chilly conditions by selecting an umbrella or raincoat to match their outfit, although plenty persisted with glamorous dresses and bare legs.

Face of the Tabcorp May Racing Carnival Bianca Gilcrist spent a busy morning helping partner Ciaron Maher in the stables before turning her attention to fashion.

The 25-year-old will be dressed by local shop Armadio this week and yesterday wore a sleek black dress and dramatic matching hat with red accents by milliner Susan Younis.

"I thought I'd keep it simple with just a little bit of colour," she said.

"Because the dress was so plain we thought a big hat would work ? I've gone with a red bag and red shoes."

Warrnambool Racing Club chairman Marg Lucas came well prepared for plunging temperatures, teaming a black and violet hat with a warm coat.

"The weather was forecast, so most people have dressed accordingly," she said.

About 550 women attended yesterday's luncheon and were keen to place bets with roving bookies.

"I think as a general view they just all look very smart, very sensibly dressed for the weather. I think they're here to enjoy themselves," Ms Lucas said of the crowd.

"Our bookings everywhere are up, so indications are that people are here to demonstrate that they want to see jumping racing continue.

"May it keep continuing ? another 150 years would do quite nicely."

Enjoying a day at the races as a family were Lynette, Barbara and Ruth Skilbeck, who accentuated their outfits with homemade fascinators.

A resourceful Barbara said her headpiece was made from fabric left after she shortened her race jacket sleeves.

"I've been dressmaking and crafty all my life, but sometimes when you need something and you can't see what you want, then you go out and look for the materials that match ?? you create," she said.

The Warrnambool resident also made sister-in-law Ruth's fascinator, while daughter Lynette said her feathered creation had been simple to assemble.

Also taking a low-key approach was Nirranda dairy farmer and mother of five Karin Couch, who swapped winter woollens for a stylish black and white ensemble.

"This is my Mother's Day every year," she said.

"I don't care if my husband couldn't handle the children ? I was coming anyway."

Her Warrnambool friend Laura Tweddle laughed as she described a far more relaxed lead-up to the races.

"I got up, went shopping for breakfast, had my shower and painted my nails and sat around waiting for (Karin) to call me," she said.

"This year I've spent a bit of time on my outfit ? I really enjoy it."

Settling in for an afternoon of punting and catching up were Lorraine Timms, Nicole Barker, Jayne Scriven, Lisa Worden and Fleur Quinn.

The Warrnambool group dressed to impress and planned to make the most of their day out.

"This'd be our third or fourth year in the tent," Ms Scriven said.

"It's all about dressing up and having lots of fun and champagne with a little bit of racing. I wouldn't mind a win, though."

Successful betting was a priority for most of the trackside crowd including long-term carnival supporter Simon Gray, who arrived from Melbourne to meet Paraparap brothers Bruce and Warren Heinnen.

The trio have made a south-west visit for the past nine years and yesterday reported three wins from five races.

"We stay in Port Fairy and commute here every day. We usually come on Monday and leave on Friday. We play golf and do the whole thing, it's great," Mr Gray said.

Bruce, who didn't bring a tie for his stay, said he loved the relaxed feel of regional race meetings.

Warren was adamant jumps events should continue.

"We've got to have jumps racing. I can't understand (the opposition to it) really. It's just a few people getting on a bandwagon," he said yesterday.

While rain saw most onlookers retreat to the grandstand, a high-spirited group of horse owners was determined to stay dry while remaining close to the action.

A large market umbrella brought to the track offered plenty of protection from downpours for Tony, Derek and Gary Curtiss, who were joined by friends Robert Daniel and David Fellows.

Their syndicate owns the Matthew Williams-trained Dashatin and Desatin, which will hit the track today and tomorrow.

"We're charging people $2 each for use of the umbrella, but we haven't had anyone pay yet," Tony said with a smile.

aweaver@standard.fairfax.com.au

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"The provincial atmosphere of country racing is just fantastic," he said.

"We dress a little bit down. The people are fantastic."

Brother