Rockingham Channel 7 Beach Cup: Retired racehorse Dark Waters takes the win as 20,000 visit foreshoreRachel FennerThe West AustralianSun, 16 November 2025 5:25PMCommentsCommentsEmail Rachel Fenner
There’s nothing like it in WA, and on Sunday, the weather, the fillies and the fashionistas dialled it up to 100 to celebrate the revitalised Channel 7 Beach Cup.
More than 20,000 people visited the foreshore for live music, market stalls, food and fun.
Thousands of visitors to the exclusive Palm Beach Oasis cheered on jockey Jessica Gray who took out the Cup in the day’s final race on Dark Waters.
Dark Waters is just one of the retired race horses Gray has taken into her stables after they finished their turf racing careers.
“He’s a really nice animal, and he’s just my little pet. I love him,” Ms Gray enthused post race.
“I’ve always wanted him to win something.”
The horses got their post-race reward — a dip in the ocean.
Earlier in the day Jasmine Rogers was awarded best dressed in the fashions in the field event, with Christine Badia runner up.
Ms Badia was recently returned from the Melbourne Cup where she was among the top 10 best dressed.
“When I saw these girls, I thought, wow, there’s some real competition,” Ms Badia said.
Peter Grygiel took out the men’s fashions on the field and was wearing a brand new wardrobe on the day.
“I fell in love with a girl from Rockingham and moved here about three months ago from the northern suburbs,” he said.
“I had a fire in my house, and I wanted a complete life change, and so I brought a house in Rockingham.
“I had to buy everything new, I found the suit online and got the t-shirt and socks from Rockingham Central.”
An auction saw Cup organisers Palm Beach Rotary raise more than $10,000 for Variety WA and MS WA.
As the sun began to sink into the sea revellers took to the dance floor to celebrate into the afternoon.
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