A Gisborne couple have taken a punt on love at the Boxing Day Races in Auckland.
Steve Middleton and Louise Savage tied the knot in an intimate wedding with 30 of their closest friends at Ellerslie Racecourse.
The pair met after sitting next to each other at the Gisborne races in 2020.
"I gave her my number straight away," Middleton told 1News.
Savage said her "un-bridal" dress was the same one she was wearing when they first met.
"It seemed like an obvious choice," she said. "It hadn't seen the light of day since then."
The happy couple said their vows as thousands of punters watched on.
"To be able to have a small, intimate wedding with just some close people - and 15,000 others - how could I resist?" Savage said with a laugh.
Auckland Thoroughbred Racing's Paul Wilcox said it was "awesome" to "bring a lot of joy in a different way to two very special people".
"We just want them to have a fruitful relationship and long may it last."
And just like the races, the wedding ceremony was over within minutes.
But not everyone was looking for love – some were in it for the money.
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