A large crowd attended the XXXX Gold Cup Race Day at Gunsynd Park on Saturday, September 8, 2012. The cup meeting has grown in stature and now forms part of the social scene in the Goondiwindi Border area.
The XXXX Gold Cup is just one successful sector of the Gourmet in Gundy weekend which attracts a huge number of visitors to the town and district.
President Michael Watt was ecstatic with the result of the day. “It caught us a little by surprise to tell truth” Watt said.
“The town had a very big weekend in a lot of spheres. The Emus had four sides in the grand finals in Toowoomba and the Boars had two sides playing off in the knock out semis as well.
“We thought the crowd would have to be down with all of that on but quite the opposite. We where short of everything including race books but it shows the benefit of combining events in a regional town to make a successful weekend.”
It was a great six event program and the fields looked very even for the whole day. The first race was the Tait Toyota Class B which saw the Matt Kropp trained Mount Morgan finish like a train down the outside and beat Steel to the Heel with Chromed back in third spot. Mount Morgan was one of four equal favourites at $7 and gave apprentice Ruby Ride the first leg of a two track double. Ruby returned to Clifford Park to ride the first winner there as well.
The Lynch Insurance Services Maiden Plate was another very even race and the Ken Waller trained Cards n Owls held on strongly for Nathan Evans form Ozicrown with Bold Prospect in third spot. There was plenty of money for Cards n Owls who started favourite at $3.50 and gave punters a great result.
The feature event was the XXXX Gold Cup and another very interesting race. The Greatandthegood was favourite at $3.50 for the strong Duckie Baker stable but the Lyn Paton trained Mimics ($7) proved too strong with Jason Hoopert on board and fought off The Greatandthegood with the well supported Counterspy finishing in third spot.
The Goondiwindi Fish Restocking QTIS Maiden Plate was another good field of maiden horses and Ron McRae saddled up Show Diva to win this event. The ever consistent Falvelani was second with Crafty Last in third spot. This gave jockey Jason Hoopert a winning double for the day with Show Diva starting at $5 in a wide open betting race.
The Carter Contract Farming Class 4, whilst a smaller field, was certainly a tough race and the Trudy Freeman trained Sequalo Gold ridden by Amy Taylor came from behind to collar the early leader Banderin with Bossboss back in third spot. Sequalo Gold started at the lucrative odds of $7 in the small field and the heavily backed unplaced favourite was Russian Empire who found the 59kg a bit too solid.
The last of the day saw six horses line up and anyone of the six could have won. In the end, the John Hearne trained and Shannon Apthorpe ridden Captain Invincible ($3 fav) proved too strong after gaining a rails run to haul in Goody Four Shoes in the run to the wire. These two streeted the opposition with Matildas Dance back in third spot.
And so another great days racing at Gunsynd Park and the first week of the Border Racing Cup circuit. This week racing moves to Surat and then Talwood have their once a year Cup meeting on October 6 followed by Stanthorpe Cup on October 20 and finally Texas Cup on December 8. Good crowds are expected at all of these meetings.
Goondiwindi will conduct their final meeting for 2012 on December 1 when they stage their Christmas Party Raceday. The club is taking bookings now for the day so if any businesses or social clubs would like to make a booking, they should contact the club now to avoid disappointment.
It is bound to be another great days racing where you will see racing at its best in the west on turf.
PHOTO: Mimics winning the XXXX Gold Cup from The Greatandthgood (Three Ways photo)
