It was a scene worth celebrating at the Allan Scott Glenburnie Racecourse last Wednesday as the thoroughbred industry made a long-awaited return following a tough period plagued by COVID-19 and track issues.

But those previous problems were emphatically pushed into the past as the Mount Gambier Racing Club jumped into a new era in style.

Everything turned it on for the big day with the fresh and luscious track bathed in glorious sunshine as punters lined the fences looking to catch a glimpse of horses at Mount Gambier for the first time in almost two years.

It was impossible not to get swept up by the vibrant and celebratory atmosphere as the horses lined up for the maiden race of the big day.

The Nutrien AG Solutions Mount Gambier Maiden Handicap kicked off proceedings and there were high expectations on local hope Swiftly Ned.

But to the delight of the home crowd, the Michael O’Leary trained horse did not disappoint, living up to its favourite tag.

Swiftly Ned claimed the 900m race in 52.34 seconds, closely followed by Maddison Miss and Keetton, who defied the odds in a tight finish.

The win set the tone for the day as the Limestone Coast racing industry stepped up to dominate proceedings on home turf.

Naracoorte trainer’s duo Sue and Jason Jaensch enjoyed success after Pitrain won the Steeline Roofing Mount Gambier Maiden Plate.

Just half a second behind the winner was Mount Gambier’s rising star jockey Jacob Opperman, who rode Pilt’s Boulevard to a close second ahead of Badonkidonk.

The tight finish was met with wild celebrations from the stands, which was a true sign racing was well and truly back.

Greg Richardson Memorial Rating 0-52 Handicap was an exciting affair with the top nine all finishing within a second.

The Strathalbyn supported Archway To Heaven emerged on top in the grandstand finish, besting Millicent backed favourite Snaptof.

Scott Group of Companies Benchmark 74 Handicap was one of the headline races on the card and the Mount Gambier trained Brigadier stole the show.

Despite being dealt with a starting price of $61 – more than double the amount of any other horse – Wayne Walters’ Gelding blitzed the course from barrier eight.

Brigadier ridden by Eran Boyd managed to hold off the far more fancied Clever Man and Sebonna to pull off the biggest upset of the day.

Blue Lake city trainers Bob and Kane Post enjoyed some success when Unlimited Ability won a bunch sprint to the line in the 1200m Carlton Draught Benchmark 64 Handicap.

Thunder Park and pre-race favourite Damascus Moment were the unlucky ones just missing out.

The shorter Mount Plumbing Service Benchmark 58 Handicap was in even closer affair as the two leaders made a desperate dash to the line.

Stacey Callow was determined to ride the Victorian based Wild Cherry Road to the $10,625 winner’s prize, but was pipped at the post by another local.

Three Tears trained by Mount Gambier’s Peter Hardacre managed to claw out a win by three hundreds of a second.

The TAB Benchmark 58 Handicap was the most supported event with 15 horses lining up at the gates.

The fastest of those was O’Leary’s Maracourt, which edged out Ali Orphan by half a length to end a great day on a high note.

Mount Gambier Racing Club president Brett Watson said it was glorious a sight to see horses and punters back at Glenburnie.

“It was just so great to see racing back,” he said.

“We are grateful for the public support with everyone coming out and enjoying themselves.

“It is a very integral part of the South Australian racing scene so Racing SA were very supportive and happy to have us back.

“There were positives all the way around.”

Despite the 619 days of waiting, Watson was not too concerned heading into the big day.

“I was pretty confident and so was everyone else, but it was relief once it was all said and done,” he said.

“You always have a little feeling of nervousness wanting make sure everything is right.

“It all did exactly what we wanted it to do and we got good reports from the industry and jockeys, which was excellent.”

Despite the revamped track getting the all clear at recent trials, how it would cope after taking the toll of an entire race day was yet to be answered and Watson said it came through with flying colours.

“It did not even need feeling or anything, so the track was fantastic,” he said.

“There were no divots pulled out, so it was all very good throughout the day.”

With the return of the prestigious Mount Gambier Gold Cup on the horizon, Watson believes its just the start of what will be a bright future for the club.

“All the hard work has paid off and we getting back to where we should be,” he said.

“We just have to continue to grow and keep getting good fields.

“We want to thank our sponsors for strong support and look forward to getting a few more back on board.”