Wauchope Jockey Club's home track meeting is the focus this Saturday as racegoers pay respect to a former honoured committee member.
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Adding to the atmosphere will be Mid-North Coast gallopers as they compete for prizemoney at the world's richest race meeting featuring the $14million The Everest in Sydney.
The main race at Wauchope is the Jan O'Neill Memorial in recognition of the decades of service given by her as secretary and as an esteemed committee member.
She was involved in many charity fundraising events and in nurturing the club through challenging times.
The five-race meeting is the only one in the Mid North Coast Racing Association and is geared to cheer home local gallopers Victorem and Awesome Pluck in the $1.3 million The Kosciuszko over 1200m for the best-rated country racehorses in New South Wales at Royal Randwick.
Wauchope residents have a share in probable favourite, five-year-old Victorem who will be ridden by top Sydney hoop Tommy Berry, along with other owners from Kempsey, Port Macquarie and elsewhere.
Five-year-old gelding Awesome Pluck is owned by Wauchope's Dale Miller and both gallopers are trained at Port Macquarie by Jenny Graham.
"It is a good opportunity for racegoers to be trackside, to watch the race and enjoy the on-course experience," said Greg Partridge, president of the Wauchope Jockey Club.
"It should be a great social occasion, especially if one of them happens to win.
"Patrons can get a bet on with bookmakers fielding not only on the local races but Sydney and interstate venues.
"It is a credit to our area that we have two top gallopers capable of winning in a field of talented country horses."
The Hastings Hotel is using its courtesy bus to ferry racegoers to and from the Beechwood Road track.
The club is not only happy to be on the same day as the huge Sydney meeting but is also hoping to attract players from sports which have finished finals and need a venue to socialise.
"The gates open at noon and the club is hoping for a good crowd," Patridge said.
Sixty nominations have been received for the Saturday card, each race having at least 11 nominations on a track where the maximum field for any races is eight.
The club is highly enthusiastic with the support and given the forecast of fine weather, the track should be in great condition.
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