IT was a win/win situation at the Tuncurry Forster Jockey Club last week with Alan Jones coming on board as club patron and the Tuncurry Racetrack being accredited as a TAB 2 track by Racing NSW.
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Accreditation has been given to feature the August 29 race meet on TAB 2’s broadcast channel run by Sky Racing.
This puts the Tuncurry racecourse onto the national map of horse racing, adding to its potential to attract the cream of the crop in horses and jockeys.
“If we do everything right, racing in the area is going to step up another level,” Garry McQuillan, president of the Tuncurry Forster Jockey Club, said.
“All of Australia will see Tuncurry Forster. It will put us back on the map.”
All of Australia will see Tuncurry Forster. It will put us back on the map.
- Garry McQuillan, president of the Tuncurry Forster Jockey Club
To top it all off the club was notified on Friday afternoon that popular talkback presenter Alan Jones has agreed to be patron.
“He’s a very high profile figure. We don’t want any money out of him or anything like that but he can help promote racing in this area,” Garry explained.
The pride in his voice is evident as he speaks about recent developments - particularly in light of the fact the course was almost deregistered by Racing NSW in 2007 due to its condition and disuse.
Their first meet six years ago saw the wheels break off the barriers, which then had to be moved from start to start with the help of a neighbour’s bobcat. Today, Garry said their meets fill out accommodation and hotels around the district, and have ticked all the boxes in terms of meeting TAB’s needs. The barriers and track are well serviced, the stewards and jockey rooms are in tip top shape, and an almost $1 million refit financed by Racing NSW late last year did not hurt the cause either.
“And all that money then goes around and around in the town,” Garry said.
Most TAB races are eight races. Tuncurry meets are currently six. Garry said the broadcast opportunity presented in this latest nod of confidence by Racing NSW will enable them to showcase how good the course’s barrier starts are across the 1600m, 2100m, 1400m, 1000m, and 1200m starts.
“On the 1600m race, it’s a straight 600m run until the first bend. That’s equivalent to 1600m start at Randwick,” Garry said.
Garry attributed the course’s accreditation to its small army of volunteers.
“I’ve always said, if everyone does a little bit, it all adds up to alot.This inaugural TAB meet... It's a piece of history.”
The first TAB 2 race meet is on August 29, and will be followed by a local ‘Shake Up The Winter Blues’ meet on September 12.
