THE 2016 Emirates Melbourne Cup trophy arrived in style at the recent Tuncurry Forster Jockey Club (TFJC) winter racing fixture, being brought up the home straight in a horse drawn carriage – much to the excitement of the trackside crowd of more than 2200.
Carried by former Melbourne Cup-winning jockey John Marshall, who rode Rogan Josh to win in 1999, the cup weighs 3.2 kilograms, contains 1.65 kilograms of 18-carat gold, and took 250 hours to handcraft when made by ABC Bullion of the West Wyalong district.
Valued at $175,000, the three-handled cup was first presented in 1919 to connections of winner Artilleryman.
The Saturday raceday was the third local stop in the Tuncurry, Forster and Great Lakes region, and is one of only five NSW country towns to have been graced with this year’s Emirates Melbourne Cup trophy tour.
“I couldn’t be happier,” TFJC president Garry McQuillan said after the races.
“My ultimate aim was for this tour to work for the town, as well as raising money for the local Riding For The Disabled group.”
“I aimed for $5000, but we raised $6200, and it’s all going to RDA, and it was all done through volunteers.”
At the meeting, Hunter Valley-based jockey Aaron Bullock came back from injury to ride three of the six race winners including two for Newcastle conditioner Benjamin Smith.
His first was maiden winner Vidaloca, a four-year-old gelding by Fastnet Rock, with gelding Sahara Strike winning the following race, also a maiden event.
It was first win from eight starts for Sahara Strike, by Niello, a deceased stakes-winning brother to champion Australian sire Lonhro.
Fresh from his win with tough gelding Rising Augustus at Rosehill recently, leading local trainer Terry Evans also enjoyed a win with his five-year-old Volksraad gelding Chaos, who is now a winner of four races.
Throughbred breeding seminar at Wagga Wagga
SOUTHERN districts will play host to a one-day breeding seminar about care of broodmares and foals at a young age on August 5 at the Commercial Club in Wagga Wagga.
Jointly conducted via Thoroughbred Breeders NSW and the local Charles Sturt University, the seminar is intended to be an interactive seminar with opportunities for attendees to discuss topics with presenters.
Beginning with basic equine cyclicity and breeding management, the program’s other topics includes foaling, neonatal care from newborn foals to three days of age, older foal limb deviations, and medical conditions of horses on farm.
