Sport
Benalla Racing Club nominated for awards as countdown to season begins
What’s better than heading to the Benalla Gold Cup to start your AFL Grand Final long weekend? Not much.
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Ahead of its annual awards on August 19, Country Racing Victoria has recognised Benalla Racing Club as one of four finalists in the category of Club of the Year, and the Benalla Gold Cup as a finalist for Event of the Year.
Chief executive Cameron Symes is proud of the club being recognised for its efforts.
“It’s a great achievement for the club, and as we came out of COVID it was great to see so many people come back to the races,” he said.
“We were hopeful that people would flock to the races, and as you can see from the Club of the Year and Event of the Year nominations the cup was really well attended, but also all events.
“There’s 54 clubs in the state, so to be in the top four, it’s a fantastic achievement that we’re extremely proud of.
“We’ll be very hopeful on the night, it’s stiff competition. I think our major threat is Geelong, but we’re in with a shot.”
The cup sits at the end of the winter sport season and Symes says it has been a great opportunity for the local sports clubs to come together as a final send-off to their seasons.
It is this local support that has also made the event one of the most enjoyable meetings on the country racing calendar.
“What made it stand out was how well it was supported by our community. We had a great attendance of over 2000 people,” Symes said.
“The week leading up to it was extremely wet, so to have all those people coming out and to attend the day was incredible.
“We’ve invested a lot into the day over the years. We’ve added entertainment and we’ve been helped with some support from the state government, which we’re very appreciative of, so by just making the day and doing those extra things, it’s now a big social event for Benalla.
“We’ve got buses that come from Wangaratta and Shepparton, so we’re trying to tap into that market a little bit, but our local support has been fantastic, so it’s a credit to the town for supporting the event as well.
“We’ve got some big things planned again this year and with a nice sunny day and yeah, a little less rain, it’ll make it a lot easier on our facility staff, that’s for sure.”
This year there will be 11 race days at the racecourse, including the Living Here Christmas Party Races, McDonald’s Kids Day Out, the Euroa Cup and the Mulwala Water Ski Club Yarrawonga Cup, which will be held at the Benalla venue for a second year.
“We launched the Mulwala Yarrawonga Cup last year and we’re looking to build on that again,” Symes said.
“It’s close to Benalla and we’ve got a few businesses from over there that support us now already, and we’ve already had a few businesses reach out to be involved in that day this year.
“They don’t have a race track there, so to bring those people to us is important.
“We roll into our kids’ day, which is January 21 next year, which is a bit later than it has been, which is good because people have been away and then sort of come back and are looking for something to do where we have free activities on for the kids and they get a backpack and so forth.
“We’ve been fortunate to get a Saturday race meeting in March for the Euroa Cup, so that’s at the end of the summer sports and before the winter sports. Hopefully we can tie into some of the end-of-season celebrations on that day and get a good crowd.”
The second biggest race day of the year is typically the Christmas Party Races, which will take place on Sunday, December 16. The club has already locked in bands to provide entertainment on the day.
With Benalla Racing Club and Victorian Government recently putting money into building new on-course stables, racing at the course is hitting new heights.
“For Benalla to take that step into the on-course training — as we know, it’s a first for Benalla,” Symes said.
“At the moment, trainers have to float their horses in each day, so to have on-course stables and the ease of it, it’s a big thing for the racing club.
“That’ll build the starting numbers at Benalla and the horses that are used in our facilities day in, day out, and that’ll enable us to in the future seek further funding to improve our facilities.
“Training is a very important part of our business, so to add that, it further strengthens Benalla as a training centre, and we’re looking to grow in that area.”
As the racing season edges closer, Symes is looking forward to having the club be a place where the community comes together for another year.
“The thing that I enjoy most about my job is putting on a good day for our community,” Symes said.
“Benalla Racing Club supports over 15 local organisation, so we’re big on giving back, and I really enjoy seeing our community come together for a day at the races.”
Tickets for the Gold Cup are on sale now: https://benalla.tickets.countryracing.com.au