The Kerang Turf Club held its annual Easter race meeting on a sunny Saturday afternoon, which provided perfect racing conditions. The track had been prepared weeks before using the traditional flood irrigation technique.
The feature race was the cluBarham Kerang Cup, which was run over 1800 metres and restricted to 10 horses. The ecstatic crowd cheered on as the field passed the winning post twice.
The story of the winning jockey, Christopher Pang, is an inspiring one that encompasses Australian traditional values of never giving up on your dreams. Pang left Hong Kong 10 years ago and immigrated to Australia. Despite being overlooked as a jockey, he had a strong work ethic. Leon and Troy Corstens saw something special in him and Pang became one of 11 new Racing Victoria apprentices.
This year’s Easter race meeting was a special day for Pang as it was his first race meeting. His first race was in race two on the Irish four-year-old mare Dakota Elegance. Despite an awkward jump, Pang rode the bay home for third place.
The feature race of the cluBarham Kerang Cup was the second last race for the meeting (race seven) and it had a fairytale ending. Pang rode a New Zealand seven-year-old mare, Look Sharpish, and after an okay jump, the grey began the race by settling at the tail of the field.
At the final corner, the field travelled wide, which allowed Pang to sneak through on the inside and accelerate along the rail. With 100 metres to go, he accidentally dropped his whip but didn’t panic. Instead, he grabbed the reins and pushed the grey home, winning the race by 3.25 lengths. Pang had a smile that represented pride for his hard work, while also celebrating his 29th birthday.
Logan McNeil, a 22-year-old, who had completed his apprenticeship, captured his 125th win at Kerang on Saturday, riding five-year-old mare Chelsea Amanda past the post first by 1.5 lengths.
Nearly half of the field for the Fashions on the Field competition was represented by Barham residents, with Simone Penglase and Allana McCallum awarded runner-up. Melbourne’s Braydon Taylor won the Elegant Gent.
The Kerang Turf Club runs two events a year, and this year’s Easter race meeting was another fantastic one.
See all the pictures in the issue.
This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 4 April 2024.
