The 2021 racing season kicks off in Narrandera on Saturday with the $72,000 L W Peacock Memorial Meeting.
With the track rated at a Slow 5, the six race TAB meeting has drawn a total of 129 nominations with acceptances to be declared today (Thursday) and the likelihood of a seventh race added.
It will be the first time the public have been allowed back on course for 22 months.
There will be Sky Channel viewing on course, local bookmakers and full TAB facilities with the first race at 12.15pm and gates opening at 11am.
A sit-down luncheon will be served in the function area and the canteen will be operating.
The meeting will be followed by the rich Narrandera Cup meeting on July 18 featuring $22,000 per race and the $35,000 Cup, and the TC Lee Memorial Meeting on August 14 with fashions on the field.
Saturday’s meeting will see the first use of the barriers donated to the club by the Murrumbidgee Turf Club. Narrandera’s old barriers were in turn donated to the Jerilderie Race Club.
Included in the nominations for the 1200m Benchmark 50 handicap is the evergreen nine-year-old gelding Benno’s Boy saddling up for his 181st start after a third at Wagga Wagga. Bro is coming off a second at Goulburn while Underthespotlight was a winner last start at Young and the Phil Sweeney trained Zofferella was second at Wagga last start.
In the 1400m Benchmark 50 handicap, Axion is among the nominations after running second over 1400m at Parkes.
The Class 1 Handicap over 1000m has drawn Little Hela, a winner at Queabeyan over 900m last start and Winning Heart, trained by Richard Freyer and a winner at Young last start.
Horses to watch in the Class 1 and Maiden Plate over 1600m will be the Mitch Beer trained Kentucky Dream after its third at Wagga last start and Phil Sweeney’s Tough Decision, coming off a third at Wagga over 1200m.
Racing manager Michael Bailey said the meeting had drawn trainers mostly from NSW and the ACT.
“Albury raced on a Heavy 10 on Tuesday and Wagga on a Heavy 8 on Saturday, and we are sitting on a Slow 5,” Mr Bailey said.
“If we don’t get 5-10mm of rain it will end up a Good 4.
“The public will be able to pay at the gate. There is word out there the next two meetings will be ticketed.
“We have a COVID plan in place and appeal to everyone to do the right thing with social distancing.”
Mr Bailey said the barriers formerly at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club had been installed at Narrandera.
The old barriers have been handed over to Jerilderie Race Club.
“We plan to build a storage shed to house the barriers so they last a long time,” he said.
“They are only around six-years-old so we were lucky to get them while Jerilderie was happy to get ours as they have been well looked after.”
Mr Bailey said the LW Peacock Memorial meeting was a stepping stone for the Sky One $22,000 races, filling the gap for the maiden and tier two horses.
“There has been a lot of interest and I’m hoping we draw a pretty reasonable crowd,” he said.
“Without the restrictions a lot of owners will come and I hope the locals get behind the club.
“Even though we were successful from a financial point of view last year, it was lacklustre as far as atmosphere.
“The last time the public were at the track was August 2019.”
This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 17 June 2021.
