FOR many years, harness racing has been the premier horse racing sport in Bathurst. Famous trotting names such as Hondo Grattan, A.D. Turnbull and the Gold Crown are known throughout harness racing circles right across Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And the sport’s move to new headquarters on College Road seems certain to take it to even greater heights in the years to come.
But that’s not to say that the gallops are going to be left behind all together in this town.
A major shake-up of the local thoroughbred racing bodies some years ago is now reaping real benefits for the sport locally.
Having split from a joint-run operation with Orange, the Bathurst thoroughbred industry has rarely looked stronger.
And this weekend Tyers Park will host what is being billed as the city’s richest ever race day when Bathurst Thoroughbred Racing presents the first round of The Country Championships.
It will be a great day both on and off the track, with celebrity guests and a rich $100,000 prize pool in the main event.
And that purse could get even bigger for a local owner as the first and second place getters on Sunday get the opportunity to run at Royal Randwick for a $300,000 prize in the final of The Championships.
Such an injection of cash shows Racing NSW is serious about growing the sport in country areas, and the Bathurst committee has done a great job in preparing the event.
It should be an exciting day, and not only for regular racing fans and punters.
One of the keys to the continued success of The Championships will be its ability to draw people to the track who might normally not be interested.
And any new event on the Bathurst sporting calendar has to be good for the whole region.
