SYDNEY, Thursday 3 June 2010 (AFP) - An Australian official's wife sparked an online controversy after using Facebook to complain about the "ugly... freaks" at a local horse-racing day.

Tegan Crisafulli -- who confessed to being no "oil painting" herself -- upset residents of the north-eastern town of Mackay with a scathing assessment of their looks.

"I still can't believe how many freaks were there," wrote Crisafulli, who is married to David Crisafulli, deputy mayor of Townsville, also in the north-eastern state of Queensland.

"I've never seen so many ugly people in the same place at the same time... I wonder if I'd get into trouble if I posted to FB (Facebook) my 'I'm the ugliest person to photograph' pics from the day."

Mackay race club's president Kerry Woodman accused Crisafulli of viewing the crowd though "beer goggles", while reigning 'Miss Turf Girl' Brooke Thompson said there were "plenty of good-looking people" there.

"Beauty is not just on the outside, it also comes from the inside," the beauty queen told the local Mackay Mercury newspaper.

Crisafulli's husband said his wife was entitled to the "light-hearted" comments but questioned their accuracy.

"She wakes up beside me every morning and my head is rougher than anything I saw on that day," the deputy mayor joked.