The City of Dubbo Turf Club has enlisted the help of Lifeline Central West to run the event.

While the day will provide plenty of fun and entertainment, the main goal is to reach out to the community and get people talking about and recognising men’s mental health issues, including depression and suicide.

The race meeting was originally planned for February, but the date was changed to allow for track upgrades to be done.

Dubbo Turf Club general manager Vince Gordon said while the change of date was a little disappointing, it will allow for the upgrades and hopefully drum up even more sponsors and interest.

“It is (the race meet) a little bit away.. but I think with the extra time we can hopefully get more organisations on board,” he said.

Mr Gordon said he sees the event as a great opportunity to help raise awareness of men’s mental health, and was more than happy to be involved in promoting that at the Dubbo Turf Club.

“If the Dubbo Turf Club can offer a vehicle to these causes, I’m happy to do that,” he said.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics latest findings, deaths from intentional self-harm occur among males at a rate three times greater than that for females.

In 2016, the standardised death rate for males was 17.8 deaths per 100,000 people, while for females it was 5.8 deaths per 100,000 people. 

Central west Lifeline executive director Alex Ferguson said mental health was a big issue and that often times many men don’t feel like they’re able to talk about their problems.

“It (mental health) is a big issue for both men and young boys,” he said.

“We hope they can talk about things that may cause them concern.”

The event is supported by the Black Dog Ride, the Blue Elephant program for Rugby Union, Group 11 Rugby league, Racing Mates and Headspace.

Mr Gordon said organisations or businesses interested in being involved on the day could contact him on 6882 1044 or call Lifeline central west on 6331 7344.

If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

General entry into the race meeting is $10 and a concessional ticket is $5.