By David Gilbert
FOLLOWING last week’s AGM for the Mount Gambier Racing Club, a new look executive was voted in by the new committee.
Taking over the top job is Peter George, a retired Mount Gambier businessman, who has been involved with racing horses for many years, mainly with the Belinda O’Loughlin stable.
Making the leap up to vice president in only his second year on the committee is Mark “Grizz” Adams, also well known in racing circles through his involvement with the Richard Wilson stable.
Both George and Adams are much younger than previous presidents John O’Connor and John Fartch and are look to introducing racing to a younger audience.
“One of my immediate aims is to get racing back to Mount Gambier and to get crowds back at the track as soon as the track is 100 per cent,” George stated.
Since joining the committee a few years back, George has been a terrific asset with his “hands-on” approach at the racecourse and spends much time – as his family will attest to – voluntarily working on the track and improving the surrounds.
Some excellent news was the announcement at the AGM that the club’s major sponsor, the Scott Group of Companies, have signed up for another three years.
It comes at a time when some sponsors of sporting clubs are reassessing their input and involvement, in many ways due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is wonderful news that the Scott Group of Companies are continuing their very long involvement with the club, and, furthermore, Carlton and United breweries, another of our big sponsors, have extended their involvement until 2024,” George added.
Not only are there changes at the top level out at Glenburnie, there are also some new faces on the committee.
In what was a first for the club for well over a decade, a ballot by members had to be undertaken when seven nominations were received for six positions.
The new faces are Mark Beames, Guy Kentish and former president Ian Perryman who all made the cut along with ongoing committeemen Peter George, Tom Ellis and Kym McLean.
Up at Naracoorte, there is also a new president for the 2021/22 season, with long-serving committeeman Glen Hamlyn stepping up to the plate.
Hamlyn replaces Bruce Jaensch who has moved to Murray Bridge but will remain as a Naracoorte committeeman.
There is no changing of the guard at either Millicent or Penola where John Payne and Mark Edwards continue as president respectively.
The Millicent club reported a profit of nearly $16,000 for last season, primarily thanks to its farming franchise.
TROTS RESUME IN A FORTNIGHT
HARNESS racing returns to the Greenwald Paceway in a fortnight’s time – Friday night, November 5 – the first of 17 meetings for the local season.
Of the 17 meetings, 13 are on Friday nights with the Gold Cup meeting on Saturday, April 2.
The fields for those Friday and Saturday meetings will be published by The Border Watch.
At this stage, the only meeting which will not be a co-share fixture with Port Pirie will be the Gold Cup meeting.
Trials have been ongoing with future trial dates scheduled for October 31, November 14 and 28 – all Sundays at 10am.
WEATHER A BIG DAMPENER
ANY Murray Bridge resident will gladly tell you Murray Bridge weather is normally 2-3 degrees warmer than Adelaide and that it hardly ever rains in the river city.
Except for last Friday.
Six lower South East sporting enthusiasts – including yours truly – who had never been to the new Murray Bridge racecourse at Gifford Hill, headed to Murray Bridge for cup day with great expectations.
In a complete reversal of what you would expect, the weather deteriorated the closer we got to Murray Bridge.
At a treeless and windswept Gifford Hill, it was more like Ballarat weather with showers, a cold wind and a temperature in the low teens.
Not ideal for those, such as ourselves, in a tent out on the lawn.
We were on the back foot from the start when we discovered there were no shuttle buses to take racegoers to and from the track – eight kilometres out of town.
We quickly discovered the wait for a taxi was at least 40 minutes.
In this region, shuttle buses run on cup days at Mount Gambier, Penola, Naracoorte and Casterton, so it seemed madness that no such service was available at Murray Bridge with so many visitors in town for the races.
Would I be in a hurry to return for a Murray Bridge cup meeting?
No, give me the Mindarie-Halidon cup meeting out in the sticks at Halidon – one hour from Murray Bridge – any time.
Yes, I would enjoy going to Murray Bridge for a run of the mill meeting when the public have full access to all the undercover facilities.
The highlight of the trip personally was our accommodation at the new, five star Bridgeport hotel where the rooms and meals were first class.
The Limestone Coast had success at the meeting when the Peter Hardacre trained Tahnee Tradition ($3 fav.) comfortably won the 0-58 handicap over 1200 metres at her second run this campaign.
Local apprentice Jacob Opperman was in the winner’s stall after the 2000-metre BM 58 handicap after Jack’s A Cracker narrowly won for Murray Bridge trainer Grant Young.
While on the subject of the Mindarie-Halidon Racing Club, the whisper at Murray Bridge was there is more than a glimmer of hope its annual meeting will remain at Halidon instead of being moved to Murray Bridge as from next year.
It was the best racing news I heard all weekend.
VICTORIANS READY TO POUNCE
RECENT news jumps racing has been canned here in South Australia has brought a quick reaction from Victoria, especially in regards to Easter.
Oakbank here in South Australia at Easter time has always been a warm up for jumpers prior to the Warrnambool carnival in early May and the Vics are keen to stage a meeting somewhere in Victoria over Easter with jumping events.
A survey conducted by a national racing paper as to the best Victorian venue for an Easter jumps carnival saw nearby Casterton clearly come out on top (68 per cent) with Warrnambool a distant second (14 per cent).
I would definitely warm to a Casterton meeting on Good Friday or some time over Easter.
However, Victorian racing authorities appear to be more keen on programming a jumping meeting at either Pakenham or Hamilton.
Meanwhile, keen local racing man Nick O’Connor has become a key player in a proposal to keep jumps racing at Oakbank.
O’Connor is helping convene a special meeting of Oakbank racing club members to oust the current committee after it agreed with Racing SA to cease jumping races as from next year.
COMING UP: Bordertown gallops next Friday, October 29.
