Race goers were supposed to be flocking towards Glenburnie for the 2020 Mount Gambier Gold Cup tomorrow.
However, the big race was postponed due to COVID-19 and track revitalisation and Mount Gambier’s loss is Penola’s gain.
Horses, jockeys, owners, trainers and punters will instead be travelling up the Riddoch Highway to the Penola Racing Club to enjoy a day at the races.
The event is a transferred meeting from Mount Gambier to Penola and will be the latter’s final event before the anticipated Coonawarra Vignerons Cup on Thursday, January 14 next year.
Penola Racing Club secretary Belinda Holland said the event would be dictated by restrictions with only 1000 people allowed through the gates.
“The public will be allowed on course, but there will be restrictions as they cannot go into the horse area,” she said.
“Industry have to keep on their side of the fence with the horses, while the general public and owners have to stay on their side so they cannot mingle.”
Despite Penola having a busier than anticipated summer schedule, Holland said the track was in prime condition for racing. “(The track workload) is not a problem – our track looks beautiful,” she said.
Nine races are pencilled in for a big day of action and each winner will receive around $10,000.
At the start of the week 115 nominations were in across the nine races, which were all extended, but have a field limit of 10 plus four emergencies.
There will be plenty of locally-owned horses on show for spectators to look out for and success could be on the cards in the opening race with Mount Gambier-based trainer Belinda O’Loughlin’s Black Syrah.
The four-year-old gelding is in hot form after winning four of its last five races, while Mr Reckless, Mista Holyfield and Carak could also be contenders in the Benchmark 72 Handicap.
Victorian-owned horse The Great Artiste holds the highest rating of 73 for the second race.
The largest amount of nominations are in races three and seven with 17 hoping to run in both the Benchmark 58 Handicap and SABOIS Maiden Plate.
Sue Murphy’s Pewter could be one of the front runners in the third event, while there are many South Australian owned horses nominated for the SABOIS Maiden Plate.
Mount Gambier’s Richard Wilson has looked after Keen On Gold, which could be in with a shot of taking a closely-fought Heat 4 Alcopop Series.
Victoria’s Luxitorah holds the highest rating of the nominated horses in the fifth event despite only having competed in four races recently.
Only seven horses are nominated for race six, while the final two events have 15 and eight nominations respectively.
