HORSE RACING –
Saturday, May 9, brought to Gosford Race Club the inaugural Coast Race Day, the first ever Saturday metro meeting for the club at The Entertainment Grounds and Gosford Racecourse.
The race day was a sell-out event, with 3,000 attendees on course witnessing the $1.6 million nine race programme, as well as live entertainment including the band, Jellyfish, on the front lawn, a ‘Fashions on the Field’ competition boasting a $9,000 prize pool, and a DJ set in the Coast Marquee.
The day began with a strong showing from local jockey, Josh Parr, who took out the opening race, the Central Coast Granite 2YO Handicap, aboard ‘Overpass’ for trainer Bjorn Baker.
Four more races followed to precede the three feature races of the day.
The C,G& E Benchmark 78 1200m was won by Blondeau, jockeyed by T Berry and trained by Chris Waller.
Next, the CL3 Handicap was won by Last Chance Dance, jockeyed by R Dolan and trained by Scott Singleton.
Race Four was the 3&4 YO BM72, won by Prince Of Arragon, jockeyed by B Spriggs and trained by John Thompson.
After this, the BM78 2100M was won by Avion Fury, jockeyed by K McEvoy and trained by Glen Thompson.
The three feature races to follow were naturally close battles for the lead.
The winner of the De Bortoli Wines Takeover Target was jockey Jason Collett, aboard Enchanted Heart, trained by Kris Lee.
Next up was the Reward Group & Luux Properties Gosford Gold Cup, won by Polly Grey, jockeyed by Tommy Berry and trained by Chris Waller.
The third feature race was The Coast 1600m, won by Brandenburg, jockeyed by Regan Bayliss and trained by John Sargent.
The final race of the day was the F&M BM78 HCP 1200M, won by Stellar Pauline, jockeyed by Andrew Adkins and trained by Peter & Paul Snowden.
For Daniel Lacey, CEO of The Entertainment Grounds, the event was a success on all fronts.
“We are thrilled and very grateful for Racing NSW allowing us the opportunity to host a stand alone, metro meeting at Gosford and for introducing the half a million dollar ‘The Coast’ race,” Lacey said.
“An event of this calibre really helps to put Gosford and the Central Coast on the map.
“Now that we have been able to showcase an amazing event, on and off the track, proving its potential and the economic benefits for the Central Coast region, we are encouraging businesses to jump on this annual occasion, bringing more visitors to the area for ‘Stay & Race’ getaways, to spend at local retailers and restaurants and experience all that the Central Coast has to offer.
“The weather could not have been better with a few days of rain in the lead up adding to the sensational track conditions.
“The quality of racing was superb, with wins from deep and mid field, showcasing a fair track giving all types of horses equal opportunity.
“The Fashions on the Field event showcased some wonderful autumn entrants competing for the $9,000 prize pool.
“Viera Macikova took out Best Dressed Lady, Rob Lee Best Dressed Gentleman and Selina McCloskey Best Dressed Contemporary.
“Considering the COVID scare in the days prior to our event, it was pleasing to have a sell-out event of 3,000 in attendance.
“Next year we hope to see COVID restrictions eased and our capacity increased once again.”
CCC