While last month’s Country Championships meeting was one of the highlights of the year at Dubbo Turf Club, the coming weeks will also be special at the track.
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Racing returns on Friday with a eight-race meeting to be contested while the coming weeks also sees the inaugural Boys Day Out meeting and a Racing Mates morning tea shortly after.
Numbers for Friday’s meeting were strong again and Dubbo Turf Club general manager Vince Gordon was delighted with the mix of local trainers and those coming from further afield.
“It looks really good and we’ve got 116 acceptances which is great and it looks good weather wise so I can’t see why it won’t be a great day or racing,” he said.
“It’s very well-supported by everyone in the central west and we’ve got a small group who travel down the highway and take a few races away but we have got plenty of locals in good form.”
There will be plenty of interest around the Class 2 Handicap (1200m), with the promising Westlink chasing a third successive win.
I can’t see why it won’t be a great day or racing.
- Vince Gordon
A potential candidate for next year’s Country Championships, wins at Dubbo and Wellington recently took the Darren Hyde-trained gelding’s record to two wins from five starts.
Mathew Cahill has the ride on Friday, going up against the likes of Max Crockett’s Balmain Girl, the Brett Thompson-trained Chatteriz and Skilled Magic from the Allan Kehoe stables at Wyong. The Benchmark 60 Handicap (1100m) will also attract the punters with provincial trainers Kehoe and Damien Lane going up against Dubbo brothers and trainers Garry and Michael Lunn as well as others from around the western area.
The in-form Greg Ryan will ride Victare for Garry Lunn and Gordon heaped praise on the champion hoop for his ongoing success.
“You don’t doubt him because he gets back up and he continues to ride very, very well,” he said.
“He’s a very clever person as well as a clever jockey.”
Gordon added Cahill, Eleanor Webster-Hawes and Ken Dunbar are other in-form jockeys to watch.
Following Friday’s meeting, the club’s the Boys Day Out meeting will be contested on Sunday, May 6.
“It’s supported by a number of bodies,” Gordon said.
“There’s Racing Mates, the Black Dog institute, the Blue Elephant rugby organisation, and of course Lifeline and there’s the Men Of League and HALT (Hope Assistance Local Tradies) so there’s a number of bodies and I think it should be a really nice day.
“It should be good racing as well so hopefully it’s a good day and we can do something for men’s health.”
That meeting will be followed by a Racing Mates morning tea on the Monday afterwards, with the focus there being to get the “racing community together over a cuppa” and chat with mates and help each other through any problems.
Racing starts at 12.40pm at Dubbo Turf Club on Sunday with the eighth and final event to jump at 4.55pm.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
