Bunbury Cup 2016: Live coverage | photos, videos

5.42pm: That's it for us folks, we hope you've enjoyed Bunbury Cup day as much as we've enjoyed covering it for you. See you again next year.

5.31pm: Winza Moment has taken race nine ahead of Hidden Grace, My Magic Miss and Sealed With a Kiss.

5.20pm: Andrew Elstermann is on tote favourite Sealed with a Kiss, but Justin Rake likes the look of My Magic Miss. Justin will need Joseph Azzopardi to ride his second consecutive winner.

5.17pm: We now turn our attention to race nine. Sealed with a Kiss is the $5.30 favourite in what is shaping up as a close field in the bookmaker's ring.

5.14pm: Cougar Express returns to its humble stable, victorious.

5.12pm: Cougar Express shows off its new rug following the victory.

5.10pm: Dom Tourneur congratulates Joseph Azzopardi on the win.

5.08pm: Cougar Express held its cool on the straight to win the Bunbury Cup.

5.02pm: Trained by Lindsey Smith, Cougar Express beat out Tonto and Cougar Nights, leading all the way to claim an impressive victory.

4.50pm: Joseph Azzopardi has ridden Cougar Express from start to finish to win the 2016 XXXX Gold Bunbury Cup!

4.44pm: Runners are in the barriers.

4.42pm: Damian Lane is aboard long-shot Cougar Nights, looking for a Cup win.

4.40pm: Andrew Elstermann has his fingers crossed for a Tonto win in the Cup, we'll know if he's right shortly.

4.35pm: Horses walk into the mounting yard for the 2016 Bunbury Cup.

4.33pm: Justin Rake is backing Lucy Warwick to ride Dubai Escapade home to win in the Bunbury Cup.

4.20pm: Focus now turns to the big one, the Bunbury Cup is up next! Tower of Lohnro is favourite at the TAB on $4.90, but Tonto is first in odds on fixed paying $3.60.

4.14pm: $15.30 chance Preselection, ridden by Ellie Cockram, has taken out race seven in front of Mudlode and Northpace. The trifecta paid $1531.70.

4.05pm: Andrew Elstermann thinks Damian Lane is every chance of riding his third consecutive winner in race 7 aboard Arcadia Delight. Race jumps in five minutes.

4.01pm: We've just added more photos to our Social Media gallery. Take a look out how the Bunbury Cup looks on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook here.

3.55pm: We are less than an hour out from the Bunbury Turf Club's biggest race of the year. The Bunbury Cup will race at 4.45pm.

3.52pm: TAB fixed odds has Damian Lane pegged to win his third race in a row. His ride Arcadia Delight is currently a $3.80 favourite on fixed.

3.43pm: There appears to be mobile coverage issues at the track with a number of punters unable to access the internet.

3.38pm: Justin Rake has picked his first winner of the day with Present Arms running first in race six by a clear distance. Damian Lane picks up his second win of the meet, riding for his father Michael.

3.30pm: Andrew Elstermann is channeling his inner-Irishman and backing the green silked Tycoon Target in race six. Justin Rake is jumping aboard the Damian Lane bandwagon and backing Present Arms.

3.25pm: Busselton Cup winner The Ladies Choice is a big market mover in this year's Bunbury Cup. It currently sits at $24.10 for the big race.

3.23pm: WATCH: Damian Lane rides Dance Mindy Dance to a win in race five.

3.10pm: Beloved local Damian Lane has ridden home a winner aboard Dance Mindy Dance in race five. 

2.57pm: Looking ahead to race five and it's Dance Mindy Dance holding favouritism. Andrew Elstermann is tipping Scotty Beau, Justin Rake's on Tanjier.

2.53pm: Fashions on the Field judges have named Aleisha Anders the best dressed woman at the track today, with last year's winner Steph Bill running a close second. Nick Mercer was judged the best dressed male while Lisa Osdone took out the best accessories category.

2.49pm: The crowd has gathered to view all the glamorous ladies and gents for the Bunbury Cup Fashions on the Field competition.

2.37pm: WATCH: Unbridled Spirit beats the field to win in race four.

2.36pm: Elstermann picks a winner as Unbridled Spirit comes in first in race four.

2.31pm: Andrew Elstermann is predicting a win for Unbridled Spirit in race four.

2.23pm: Racing and Gaming Minister Colin Holt is enjoying the day.

2.09pm: Femme De Classe runs home in race three.

1.59pm: Femme De Classe takes out race four by a nose, ahead of Born Blue and Wavehill Spur. Favourite Presumptuous fails to place. 

1.50pm: Andrew Elstermann agrees with the TAB and thinks Presumptuous will get up in race three. Justin Rake disagrees, he's going for Born Blue with Patrick Carbery aboard.

1.45pm: The TAB is presuming that Presumptuous will win race three. It sits as favourite paying $3.80.

1.36: Bunbury Cup favourite Tonto is set to receive a visit from the vet after being stung by bees, but appears fine to race.

1.24pm: Gauged takes out the honours in race two, paying a dividend of $8.20 for the win.

1.16pm: Andrew Elstermann will be opening a bottle of bubbly if Champagne Charger can take out race two.

1.14pm: Local boy and champion Melbourne jockey Damian Lane is aboard Mississippi Sammy for race two.

1.12pm: The field for race two is in the mounting yard. Top-weight Hakuna Matata is the favourite at $3.30.

1.07pm: Cracking photo of race one winner Wings of Hope.

1pm: Check out race one from the best seat in the house, courtesy of Bunbury Turf Club. 

12.55pm: The crowd continues to grow at the Bunbury Turf Club, but with the wind picking up there are plenty of fascinators flying around.

12.40pm: TAB favourite Wings of Hope takes out race one on Bunbury Cup day. 

12.37pm: Horses are in the mounting yard for the first of the day's races.

12.35pm: Check out racing expert Andrew Elstermann's tips for race one.

12.30pm: The field for race one being paraded through the mounting yard.

12.10pm: Wings of Hope looks set to enter race one as the favourite, currently sitting at $3.40 for the win with TAB, but journalist Justin Rake thinks Faulty is an outside chance.

12pm: Journalist Andrew Elstermann is making his way around the stables checking out some of today's gallopers.

11.40am: There is a touch of green among the Bunbury Cup crowd with keen race-goers getting into the St. Patrick's Day spirit. Check out all the glitz and glamour from the track in our social photos gallery here.

11am: Which horses are going to make this post a winner today? Guess we will soon find out...

10:40am: Bunbury Mail reporters Chloerissa Eadie and Andrew Elstermann are looking dashing and are heading to the Bunbury Turf Club to bring you all the latest from the 2016 XXXX Gold Bunbury Cup.

A highlight of Bunbury Cup day is fashions on the field. Five judges help select the best dressed lady, man and the most impressive hat. In 2015 best dressed female and fashions on the field winner was Steph Bill while Anthony Benesse was best dressed male and Lisa Ausden won the best millinery award. 

Bunbury Turf Club traditionally hosts three black-type races each season. The AHA Cup, the Bunbury Stakes and the Bunbury Cup. It's fair to say the results of the first two have been upsets. 

The AHA Cup saw Angola and Tonto go in as joint-favourites but both failed to find luck in the running. In the end talented Bedamijo got the nose down over Tower of Lonhro on the line. 

In the Bunbury Stakes there were a number of fancied runners in Red Ora, First Among Equals and Battle Hero. 

But it was former Northam Cup winner Young Lionel with jockey Jarrad Noske who triumphed for local trainer Lou Luciani.  

Perhaps this year's winner will reward some lucky punters with a handsome dividend?

Every year the team from the Bunbury Mail visit the Bunbury Cup with their cameras to capture race goers dressed in their finest. Check out all the outfits snapped in 2015. 

Be sure to bring along a smile on Thursday. 

1.Beau Heed, Little Lilac, Prince Elliot and Lords Ransom are the only multiple winners, each successful twice.

2) Iconic horseman Colin Webster has trained the most winners with five, including subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Rogan Josh.

3) American sire Serheed has produced the winner of the race on five separate occasions.

4) The longest priced winner since 1983 was Feverish who won at 25/1 in 1992.

5) The last favourite to win the race was the Adam Durrant trained Tick Tick Bloom in 2015. Before that it was Lord's Ransom in 2008. 

6) The highest impost carried to victory was 60.5kgs by Paris Prince in 1977.

7) The next year saw a nine year old Indian Shell become the oldest XXXX Gold Bunbury Cup winner on record.

8) North Globe is the only three-year-old to have won the race, he was successful back in 1962.

9) Barrier two has carried the most winners since 1967 with seven. Mares have 17 wins in the Cup since 1928.

10) The Bunbury Cup was first run in 1894 when it was won by five year old gelding Tremloando.

11) Current-day jockey Troy Turner has the best record in the race, winning it four times.

12) Shaun O'Donnell and J Marshall, as well as WA Racing Hall Of Fame Inductees Frank Treen and Eric Treffone, have all saluted on three occasions.

Each year the Bunbury Mail encourages race goers to use the hashtag #BunburyCup on social media. We then pull together all the photos into a gallery to show how the public see the day. This one always has plenty of great shots and is popular viewing. 

Relive all the highlights of the 2015 gallery here. 

The last two years Andrew Elstermann has used his access all areas pass to show Bunbury a different side to Cup day. From all the action in the bookmakers ring to fashions on the field to preparing the horses in stables. Last year he even got into the commentary box with the voice of WA racing Darren McAuley. 

WATCH: Tick Tick Bloom wins the 2015 Bunbury Cup.

WATCH: Classique Ivory storms to victory in the 2014 Bunbury Cup. 

Having forged a successful career as a jockey in Melbourne, Bunbury born hoop Damian Lane returns to Bunbury on Thursday to partner his dad's horse Cougar Nights in the main race. Damian is currently ranked fifth in the Melbourne Jockey challenge with 34 wins and another 65 places from 237 starts this season. An impressive strike rate of 14.3 per cent. 

Last year he got his first start in the Melbourne Cup aboard Quest For More and finished a respectable tenth. He has had a three month stint riding in Hong Kong where he chalked up plenty of winners. 

Having a flutter on a horse can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. Take it from a long-time punter, neither are guaranteed results. Here are some ways you could have a punt on the Bunbury Cup. 

Win: Also known as betting 'on the nose', win betting is by far the most popular bet type. It is a bet made on a single horse to finish first.

Place: A place bet will pay if the horse comes first, second or third, as long as there are eight or more runners in the race. If there are less than eight, like race four, there will only be money paid on the first two. 

Each way: A combination of a win bet and a place bet. $5 each way means a $5 bet on a win, and a $5 bet on a place, making a total bet of $10.

Exacta: Betting on the first and second place winners, in the correct order.

Quinella: Betting on the first and second place winners, but in any order.

Trifecta: Betting on the first, second and third place winners, in the correct order.

First 4: Betting on a First 4 means you must select the correct finishing order of the first four horses across the post.

Please be sure to gamble responsibly. 

On Thursday, we will have late mail tips just before each race from Andrew Elstermann who will assess the runners in the mounting yard. Keep an eye on them on the Bunbury Mail Twitter page. 

Maybe Irish Eyes will smile on punters with the 2016 Bunbury Cup coinciding with St Patrick's Day? The last time the two coincided Shaun O'Donnell got Street Value home at $9.50. 

WATCH: The 2011 Bunbury Cup win by Shaun O'Donnell and Street Value. 

After the shock scratching of pre-race favourite Angola, our racing writer Andrew Elstermann ran a microscope over the 2016 Bunbury Cup field in the hope of finding the winner. 

His tips for the Cup are 1. Tonto, 2. Tower of Lonhro, 3. Already Famous, 4. Cougar Nights.

Read his preview of each runner and their chances here. 

2016 XXXX Gold Bunbury Cup

Date: March 17

Location: Bunbury Turf Club

Gates open: 10.30am

Race times: 1 (12.38pm), 2 (1.19pm), 3 (1.54pm), 4 (2.34pm), 5 (3.04pm), 6 (3.35pm), 7 (4.10pm), 8 The Cup (4.45pm), 9 (5.25pm). 

Weather forecast: Sunny and 24 degree (i.e. ideal for fashions on the field).