East Gippsland’s biggest horse race, the $70,000 Bairnsdale Cup, will be held this Sunday, with a large crowd expected to be in attendance.
It’s been a huge autumn of racing across the state, highlighted by last Saturday’s All Star Mile in Melbourne, which attracted a massive crowd.
With the Bairnsdale Cup now held in March each year, it gives local racegoers the opportunity to get trackside and enjoy the fun and excitement that only local racing can offer, while the weather is still warm and the sun shining.
It will be the 162nd running of the Bairnsdale Cup, to be run over 1600 metres, with the the club celebrating 20 years with iconic local brand, Patties as its cup naming rights sponsor.
The Bairnsdale Racing Club is hoping the renewed interest in the region in Thoroughbred racing will inflate the on-course attendance numbers for the huge day of fun and action that has been planned.
Recent picnic race meetings in the East Gippsland High Country at Buchan and Hinnomunjie have seen huge crowds in attendance, with the weather forecast for Sunday looking promising it’s expected many patrons will flock through the turnstiles.
A bumper program of local racing has been scheduled with eight exciting races to be held on a track that is looking in magnificent order.
Bairnsdale Racing Club track manager, Rhys Taylor, has been applying plenty of water and will present an ideal racing surface on Sunday, which should be an even playing surface for all participants.
Bairnsdale Racing Club has put plenty of work into its iconic day, hoping to offer something for everyone.
There will be kids entertainment and food trucks, with the club offering a selection of bars, full TAB facilities, lots of seating and grass areas for a picnic and family interaction.
Talented musician, Ryan Lestrange will entertain the crowd between races, Fashions on the Fields competition will again be popular with racegoers, with all patrons able to enter and given the opportunity to compete in one of East Gippsland’s prestigious fashion events.
Special guest will be former jockey and now racing host, Casey Bruce, who will speak at the official luncheon.
The Bairnsdale Racing Club will run buses from Lakes Entrance, Metung, Marlo, Orbost, Nowa Nowa, Bruthen, Johnsonville, Nicholson, Sale, Lindenow, Paynesville and Bairnsdale. Last year’s Bairnsdale Cup saw an upset result with 60/1 chance, Delightful Journey, ridden by veteran jockey, Sally Wynne, proving too good a city class field.
