Country shires are overwhelmingly safer than their city counterparts, according to the crime data for Victoria.

Wangaratta trainer Andrew Dale snared his second Towong Cup victory after Copperfield stormed to victory in the high country feature on Saturday.

The storied 150-year history of the Towong Turf Club has been encapsulated in a new book by local author, Dixie Coutts, which is to be launched on the eve of this year's Towong Cup.