TAMWORTH Jockey Club’s annual Cup meeting might not have had the biggest crowd or best turnover but it was still a big winner for the club, its club chairman reckoned.
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Sunday’s Tamworth Cup crowd might have been affected by the Easter-Anzac Day holidays, chairman Tim Coates said as he pondered what was an “excellent race day”.
“The TAB turnover was our most successful in recent history,” Coates said.
“It looks like topping out at about $1.5million but we still have the fixed odds betting to come into that.”
The TAB provides clubs with five per cent of betting turnover up to $1.1million with bonuses added on up to $1.4million, Coates said.
“There is a sliding scheme of distribution with bonuses too,” Coates said.
“The on-course bookies had their best day for a while as well. They held $106,000, which was up on the last few years.”
Coates said the good crowd might have been a little down on some of the huge days of the past but he thought the Easter-Anzac Day holidays were a factor.
“I think they had an impact,” he said.
“A lot of people were able to take the four days off between Easter and Anzac Day and give themselves almost two weeks off.
“A lot of people didn’t come home until Sunday and that might have had an impact on the size of the crowd.
“But it was a good crowd.
‘The fashions and fashion-in-the field were great.
“We definitely appreciated the effort some of the young ladies and men went to.
“We had things like an acoustic guitarist playing and The Northern Daily Leader photo booth was in demand.
“Joe Janiak and Takeover Target were a nice bonus and the Tamworth City Lions also had their reunion day here again as well and they all had a good day.”
Receiving a congratulatory call from Tamworth trainer Leon Davies on how well the day went was a fillip for Coates.
“Leon rang to say what a good day it was,” Coates said.
“He did win the last with Gelsomina too.
“He won the last race on Cup day last year as well with Twin Zero.”
Coates said Tamworth next races on Monday, May 19.
“It’s the Monday after the big Scone Cup Carnival.
“I think it will be a bit of a fun day, somewhere for all the local horses to run.”
Scone Race Club’s Cup Carnival has now grown so big the two-day carnival on May 16-17 caters for a lot of provincial and metropolitan horses.
“That’s why we run it,” Coates said of the Monday meeting.
HNWRA attention turns to Muswellbrook (Friday), Binnaway (Saturday) and next Monday’s Quirindi (Willow Tree Cup meeting) over the next week.
Gunnedah Jockey Club then conducts its Cup meeting on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 11, nominations for which close at 11am next Tuesday.
