Race day relief

Deniliquin Racing Club president Russell Douglas said while he didn’t have an exact figure of how many attended, he believes the meeting attracted at least 1200 people.

‘‘I was quite happy with the crowd on Saturday,’’ he said.

‘‘There was a fair bit on in town with cricket, bowls and gymnastics but considering that, and the cool weather, it was a good sized crowd.

‘‘The build up to the event was outstanding, we had a lot of marquees and there was plenty of activity in the betting ring.

‘‘The condition of the track was magnificent too. Jockeys who have been coming here for years said it’s the best it’s ever been.

‘‘The catering on the day was also fantastic and the Deniliquin Show Society said the food in the kiosk was nearly all sold out.’’

A one-off initiative from Edward River Council saw the first 200 people at the race track receive free entry.

Complimentary buses were also available from six rural villages to transport patrons to and from the race event.

‘‘It was all positive news and it was really good for Deni and its surrounds,’’ Mr Douglas said.

‘‘The free tickets went off quickly. It was an outstanding initiative by the council.

‘‘Going through the crowd and chatting to the patrons, you could tell it was nice for them to relax and forget about their woes for a day.’’

The day also brought racegoers from far and wide, with some even travelling from Sydney and Melbourne for the event.

Mr Douglas attributed that to the committee’s tireless work in promoting the event.

‘‘We have such a solid committee who work well together,’’ he said.

‘‘A lot of members have been on the committee for many years and know the drill.

‘‘However we do have some newer committee members who have thrown new ideas out there.

‘‘Without the hard-working committee, the day would not have been such a success, so thank you to all those who helped make an amazing day.’’