KERANG Turf Club president Darren Connelly was so determined to make the club’s new December 30 race date a success, he had a small army of helpers – armed with sponges and on their hands and knees – mopping up excess water on the track.
There were 20-litre buckets of water being tipped everywhere and one short stretch alone gave up more than 1000 litres, caused by a couple of low spots on the track.
Things got so hectic and urgent ahead of the Autopro Kerang Summer Races that helpers were despatched to the raceday sponsor for emergency sponge supplies and volunteer helpers from the Kerang Show Society turned up to lend a hand.
Without them, Connelly is convinced the new meeting would not have gone ahead.
But it did – and how.
The crowd was well north of 1500 (some estimated close to 2000), bar takings were through the roof, the bookies took a bit of a flogging and the TAB was forced to open a third window and was still dealing with line-ups all day. More than 100 children were in the Kelly Sports area for the afternoon.
“I reckon it’s the best move we have made for a long time, we were struggling with the traditional Boxing Day meeting but despite some naysayers, this has been a spectacular success,” Connelly says.
“Even the car park was chockers, so much so we are already looking at a possible bit of land to extend our parking capacity at future meetings,” he says.
“One of the bigger food suppliers reckoned they had over-catered in anticipation, but they ended up making multiple trips to IGA for more supplies, there were so many people and so much demand.”
The club also used the occasion to officially launch its new shade sail area and new jockeys’ rooms – both proving to be an extra part of the success story.
Connelly says he spoke to many of the people booked into the shade area and says it was an overwhelming vote of confidence from patrons.
The cameraman from Thoroughbred Racing Productions) was full of praise for the new broadcast tower built for the meeting. He wrote on Facebook that if another race club ever asks him what he needs to do the best possible job, he will be referring people to Kerang.
Connelly, however, is not letting himself or the club rest on their laurels. There are already plans to renew the bid for a third meeting to complement Kerang’s cup day on March 30 and its new December 30 fixture.
He says they are targeting a date two weeks before the annual three-day Swan Hill Cup Carnival in early June each year.
