Harness Racing participants to donate part of winnings to Central West flood recovery

Given they are both well-known in the harness racing game - Hutchings as a trainer-driver and Dumesny as a racecaller and media man - it came as no surprise Hutchings' suggestion was he donate part of any prizemoney earned in December to the cause.

What has come as a surprise is the sheer amount of people in the racing industry who have followed suit and offered to do what they can to help a region hit by what many have described as "an inland tsunami".

"Unreal is the word I'd use. Unreal and humbling," Dumesny, who has organised the racing support, said.

"Just the generosity of everyone to be able to do this. It's not easy for people to put their hand in their own pocket and do this sort of thing but there's been no hesitating.

"It started with Brett...then we got a couple more and our stable, so to speak, was up to nine and by the end of today (Monday) it will be well over 50."

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Many of the biggest names in harness racing have confirmed they'll be donating part of their winnings in December to the cause while Dubbo thoroughbreds trainer Clint Lundholm has also been locked in.

Every trainer and every driver who has signed up will each donate $50 from every win in the month of December while a number have gone out of their way to make a larger donation to get the ball rolling.

"You see these people at the races and you call them and for them to just react to something you do, it's overwhelming," Dumesny said.

"We've got probably the best driver in Australia onboard, Cam Hart, and all the way through to a kid who gets one drive just every now and then in Blake Medlyn.

"The diverse nature of the drivers and trainers is unreal.

"Amanda (Turnbull) just jumped on today. Stevie Turnbull, Jack Trainor Josh Gallagher, Jack Callaghan. The list goes on and on and there's people like Nathan Turnbull who are probably in career-best form.

"For the month of December, if they all get on a roll, it could be scary the number we get to.

"Last month alone Cameron Hart and Jack Callaghan drove 45 winners between them. I was just hoping to get one big fish but we've got the whole pond now and that's just great."

On top of the trainers and drivers, Dubbo-based racing photography company Coffee Photography and Framing will donate a part of all sales to the cause while they have also offered to replace all race photos since 2008 for free for those who have lost any in the floods.

As well as some star names of the sport like the Morris and McCarthy teams in the city and trainer-drivers in the ACT and Queensland, Dumesny has also had messages from teenagers like Jett Turnbull, who doesn't even have a driving licence of his own yet.

"Jett Turnbull, he's 15 and hasn't ever sat behind one in a race yet but every trial drive he will give $20 out of his own pocket," Dumesny said.

"Then his little sister said she wanted to donate $200 for the kids so there's just so many stories like that."

Dumesny's home of Parkes is among the many which has endured flooding in recent months, but it's been Forbes and Eugowra which have been the hardest hit.

Much of Eugowra was wiped out last week while many residents in Forbes had to be evacuated twice in two weeks due to repeated flooding.

As someone who has plenty of friends and family in both towns and visits both regularly due to sporting commitments in racing and rugby league, Dumesny was always eager to do what he could to help.

He was among the many who volunteered their time to assist in the clean-up last week but he said doing that and organising the racing fundraiser is the least he could do for people who had lost everything.

"There's just nothing left. There's nothing...it's scary," Dumesny said of much of the Eugowra area.

Dumesny added the scenes he's seen while out and about helping in the past week have been "heartbreaking".

"I've been lucky to enjoy some really good times at Eugowra as a football coach and being around the Eugowra Eagles plus with the trots. I called my first Canola Cup, something I'd aspired to do my entire life, only a month ago and then to see the people who were there smiling and having a good time then soaked in mud a month or so later because of this freak inland tsunami made me want to do something," he said.

"The community spirit is as high as it can be at a time like this and everyone is getting behind each other but some of the really hard people of Eugowra have been sitting in the streets crying and that, to me, really rammed home to say we need to support these people.

"Whether it's me in the littlest way or some big organisation, someone needed to give them some light and something to look forward to."

As grateful as Dumesny is to everyone in the racing industry who has offered to help, he saved special mention for the man who started it all.

"Brett got the ball rolling and I just ran with it," he said.

"He started it. He didn't need to help out in any way and he doesn't have any connection to Eugowra apart from winning a Canola Cup once.

"He just wanted to help and then he said we should get a few other guys involved."

As well as the donations, Dumesny is also calling for all drivers to salute for the communities of Eugowra and Forbes when they go past the post for their first win in the month of December.

"It's a bit quirky and a bit corny...but it's just something to say 'we've got your back'," Dumesny said.

"Just throw the stick in the air or give them a fist pump or wave or a nod. Just anything to show these communities that we've got them. That's what it's all about."

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