Huge crowd attends Cup Day

A huge crowd descended on Wyong for Cup Day on Friday, September 5, to enjoy a tremendous day.

The feature race, the Wyong Leagues Group Wyong Cup, was taken out by the Chris Waller trained Saltcoats ($1.90F) and was ridden by world champion jockey James McDonald.

Saltcoats prevailed in a tight finish defeating the locally trained Salt Lake City ($15) with Glory Daze ($5.50) back in third.

Whilst Saltcoats was the raging hot favourite, Salt Lake City gave Domeland’s local trainer Nacim Dilmi a huge thrill.

Having taken over as the head trainer just last month, all the indications are that he is going to enjoy a lot of success moving forward.

Wyong Race Club CEO Greg Purcell was ecstatic with the success of the day.

“Without doubt this was one of the most successful Cup Days in recent history,” he said.

“The atmosphere right throughout the course was great; the racing produced some fantastic finishes, particularly the two feature races – the Wyong Leagues Group Wyong Cup and the Domeland Mona Lisa Stakes.

“Punters left happy with favourites winning five of seven races.

“We had some of the leading trainers in the country bring their horses to race and some of the best hoops in the land rode here which is a huge show of confidence in our track here at Wyong.”

Meanwhile, the campaign to establish a half-day public holiday on Wyong Cup Day continues to build support, inspired by the success of other racing communities such as Grafton, Scone and Launceston.

The proposal aims to cement the Wyong Cup as a signature community celebration, drawing locals together at one of the region’s most iconic venues.

“Wyong Race Club is such a pivotal part of the region,” Purcell said.

“Not only do we host major race days that raise funds for important charities, the Club is also home to the important NAIDOC Week event, school cross-country sports carnivals, community markets and other vital fundraising activities.

“We know the community has a strong affiliation with the Club, and we want that legacy to continue for younger generations.

“As we celebrate 150 years of racing in the district, a half-day holiday on Cup Day would strengthen that sense of ownership and pride in the Club.”

After a busy winter racing period the track will now undergo important renovation works including scarification and the removal of core holes, followed by comprehensive soil testing to identify any nutrient deficiencies.

Based on these results, the necessary amendments will be added to the soil profile before the track is top-dressed to ensure its long-term health and performance.

Upcoming Race Days at Wyong Race Club: Thursday, October 30 – Go Electrical Race Day; Sunday, November 16 – Mountains and Valleys Community Race Day; Wednesday, November 26 – Race Day; Wednesday, December 10 – Magic Millions Race Day; Saturday, December 20 – Christmas at the Races; Saturday, January 11 – Lakes Race Day.

For full details, visit wyongraceclub.com.au.