Anna Campbell looks posh when she walks the runway for fashion in the field events. She has perfect skin, shiny blonde hair, light blue eyes and a reserved sort of smile that sits somewhere between a little bit nervous and a little bit, well, posh. She is perfectly put together in a hat that matches the dress that matches the clutch that matches the shoes, with a string of pearls thrown in for good measure.

She looks unattainable. Like she wakes up in that outfit every day and all the rest of us are basket cases who shouldn't bother trying.

The 45 year old answers the door to her home on the outskirts of Hamilton in a pink T-shirt, black trakkies and a bit of foundation, but little else in the way of makeup. The only nod to the races she attended the day before are the perfectly manicured nails.

Turns out she owns a dog kennel. And she's not reserved at all, or posh. She's never had her hair and makeup done and her wardrobe is not full of designer labels. She's a talker who is utterly relatable, and warm.

"Sometimes I've won at Te Rapa and I'm back at work the same day, so I've thrown everything off and I'm out there picking up dog shit, basically, after winning a lovely prize."

It would be impossible to have an interest in fashion at the races and not have heard of Anna and her two daughters. The elder, Claudia, took out the Prix de Fashion at Derby Day as part of Auckland Cup Week early this month.

The list of prizes is long. It includes flights to New York, entry to the Melbourne Cup Fashions on the Field (plus flights and accommodation - "Thank god for that," says Anna), a Westfield shopping spree, makeup, jewellery and more.

Claudia, 20, is in her last year at Wintec as a media arts student and her mum says she dresses like a homeless woman when she's not on the catwalk. You know - that student look. Claudia laughs and sums up her style diplomatically: "Baggy, comfy - still cool - but not races."

Then there's Elly, who's nearly 18. Most events have an age restriction, so she's usually behind the scenes but is itching to get her walk on. Elly's the fashionable one. She was in the crowd at Derby Day looking standout in a dress she'd found at the op shop for $8. And she spotted Claudia's top on EziBuy, knowing instantly it was a winner.

So they axed the orange part, shaped it, zoomed in on the black and white, with a pop of this season's hottest colour - turquoise.

Flowers sent from EziBuy sit on the mantelpiece of the family home next to a box of Mumm champagne. Anna kept a bottle for herself and gave one to her mum and one to Monika Neuhauser - it's not quite a cast of thousands, but there are others to thank for the successes of Anna and Claudia. Anna's mum shaped Claudia's winning top, made her skirt and often makes Anna's outfits.

 And there's the astounding work of Monika, who has crafted each headpiece from the start.

"A good hat in a colour that suits you is an investment," says Anna. "But we don't just wear one hat once. We swap between each other."

All prizes are shared. All items are swapped. Elly and Anna share a shoe size. They get ready together. That's when Anna's partner likes to make himself scarce.

"It kinda gets stressful in the bathroom," says Claudia. "But everyone sorts herself out."

Claudia has automatic entry into the Melbourne Cup this November. That's a big deal.

They have no idea what she'll wear. Anna says they have researched Aussie raceday fashion and think it's a lot more risque across the ditch.