Mr Horton said a meeting in Horsham yesterday attracted more than 850 people - a figure marginally higher than in its inaugural year in 2008.

"It is up on last year, but not by too many, probably only 100 or so," Mr Horton said.

"Unfortunately the weather has gone against us a bit with it being a little cold and windy and I expect that kept a few people away, but otherwise it has been a good comfortable day."

Mr Horton said public support would decide future of the Melbourne Cup Day meeting in Horsham.

"We have to try and keep growing the day," he said.

"It has been a bit of a struggle, but now we have got the full public holiday, and if we could get the crowd up to 1000 plus paying patrons we would be happy with it. We have promoted it pretty well, everyone knows that it is on."

He said the club had taken positives from the meeting.

"We have had good Fashions on the Field, people are putting a lot of effort and there is a lot of interest in it," he said.

"The racing has been fair, considering the acceptances weren't real flash but we can build on that.

"We had the big screen and everyone got together on the lawn and watched it and there was a good family atmosphere."

In the feature race of the day, the T[Life] Horsham Handicap 1200 metres, Lethal Gal had a tense wait after a protest from Daleo who deadheated for second with Killas Mate.

Daleo jockey Jack Hill protested that Lethal Gal and jockey Jacob Rule had made illegal interference on the home turn.

The protest was dismissed just moments before the running of the Melbourne Cup.

The Darren Weir-trained Lethal Gal surged to the lead in the straight after Georgie Rae, who finished fourth, couldn't maintain the speed in the straight.

A lowlight for the day was just two horses starting in the first race of the day, after a third horse was scratched pre-race.