Fashions on the Field winners at the 2011 Mungindi races: Best dressed male Ben Taylor, best dressed lady Melissa Hindle, millinery award Ashleigh Taylor, best dressed girl Carleesha Curtis and best dressed boy Christopher Quinn.
Thirteen years ago, Racing NSW employee Kris McEwen suffered a fatal asthma attack after a transfer to Mungindi.
His fiancee, Kayla, had just given birth to their daughter Elisha six months before Kris’s death.
She promised her daughter she would return to Mungindi and win the Mungindi Cup in memory of Elisha’s father.
“Once I became licensed and had my first race one of the first things that came to my mind was to return to Munigindi and win the Cup,” McEwan said.
“I promised Elisha I’d do it for her, for her father and for myself.”
Last year McEwan made the first trip back to the town but narrowly missed out on competing in the cup due to an accident in the race before.
“The horse I was riding (Salt Shaker) won and he was still in racing mode when he finished the race. It’s a tight track and he failed to turn and went through the outside barrier, knocking me unconscious.”
McEwan was unable to race the Cup, but said it only made her more determined to keep returning until she achieved her goal.
This year McEwan will make the trip back for the race day on Saturday. She will ride Len Bryant-trained Sinful Warrior in the Cup.
“I’m always confident but the horse I am on is really good and he’s been set for this race,” she said.