THE COUNTRY CUPS AND THE ESSENTIAL PART THAT COUNTRY RACE CLUBS PLAY IN THE RACING INDUSTRY

By HRO | Thursday, June 16, 2016

While the Queensland Racing Winter Carnival will still take centre stage for the next three weeks, down in the trenches country racing continues to go quietly about its business, constantly providing the most necessary of platforms for those participants who are pivotal to the ongoing success of the broader racing industry.

Graham Potter spoke to trainer Ben Currie about his Gatton Cup success with Tints on Sunday while Darren Winningham spoke to Kilcoy Race Club President Con Searle about the upcoming Kilcoy Cup meeting this Saturday.

The 2016 Gatton Cup was taken out by Tints, the five year old, Ben Currie trained mare who scored her twelfth career victory under the guidance of the in-form apprentice Josh Oliver, writes Graham Potter.

Currie has a soft spot for Gatton, in particular, and country racing in general ... as he explains.

“Gatton is not far from my home town in Toowoomba and I know how big a day their home town cup is for them.

“We took the right horse down this year. Tints has been a real good mare for us. She’s won a Roma Cup and now she’s won a Gatton Cup.

“That metro Saturday win has eluded her but, other than that she has hardly put a foot wrong for a number of seasons. She is never far away from the money.

“It was good for her to get the get the result in the Gatton Cup.

“We’ve had a lot of luck at Gatton. I don’t know what it is. The last time I went there (before Cup day) I had two runners and they both won and then on Sunday (Cup day) I had three runners and again they all won.

“I couple of years ago I had four in at Gatton and they all won, so I don’t need to much convincing to go there.

“Like I say, I don’t know what it is ... the way we work them or what? We just seem to have luck at Gatton. I guess it is just one of those things. Some trainers have luck at certain tracks.

“You take it when you can get it.

“I try to support as many of the country meetings as I can and I’m really happy to be able to play a part in country racing.”

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After the unfortunate abandonment of the prestigious Kilcoy Race Club annual Anzac Day meeting on Sunday 24 April 2016 the Club bounced back with a great meeting on Sunday 29 May, writes Darren Winningham

Now it’s on to this Saturday when the Kilcoy Race Club will host a non-TAB meeting featuring the 2016 Kilcoy Cup.

The Kilcoy Cup is a Benchmark 50 race over 1500metres ... but there is far more to the day than that.

Club President Con Searle points out that on Cup day the Club will be staging a large family day ... with a difference.

There will be five races for the thoroughbreds, three full races for harness racing (trotting) and three mini trot races for the children.

A feature of the day will be the Ian Duncan Memorial Jockey Challenge with all jockeys riding on the day competing for the magnificent trophy donated by the Duncan Family.

The Kilcoy Cup Fashions on The Field will be a big draw card for the dressy, gents, ladies, teens and couples with good prizes to be won.

Searle pointed out that, importantly, whilst the meeting is a non-TAB meeting there will be “six to eight bookmakers on track” to let the punters get on for all race meetings right across Australia which should help pull in the anticipated large crowd.

So, if you are looking for something different and have not been to the Kilcoy Race Club why not set the date aside, take a short drive north from Brisbane and enjoy a wonderful atmosphere and all of the action from different codes in a show of support for country racing.

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