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By Mark Brassel

The popular Macquarie picnic races, usually run between Christmas and New Year’s Day, have been switched from the searing heat to the cool of winter.

Run at Trangie near Narromine, the Club decided to move the meeting which has not been staged since December 2019.

Maddy Wright gives Drummed Out a pat after winning the Macquarie Picnic Cup. Image by Janian McMillan (Racing Photography)

Emma Flinn, Macquarie Picnic Race Club’s secretary, explained: “Due to COVID and track conditions we sadly haven’t been able to hold our picnic races for a few years now.

“After this break our committee made the big decision to change our race date from the blistering hot Trangie summer to the wonderfully mild winter and race at the end of July on Saturday 29th.

“While the December race meeting was always a great success with everyone in party mode between the Christmas and New Year period, we are confident with the changes we have made.

“This year we are having our normal meeting with a six-race program and big prizemoney.

“It will be followed by a new night-time event ‘The Stables Dinner’ which will be a strictly limited number ticketed event.

“Included in the ticket is dinner and live entertainment by blues and soul singer Adam Rennie. We are very excited to be bringing back our much-loved Trangie picnics.”

The last Macquarie Picnic Cup in 2019 was taken out by Drummed Out and ridden by Maddy Wright who landed four winners on the day.

Also on Saturday, Kempsey Race Club will hold a sponsors raceday featuring the Darryl Dufty Memorial ed by the Akubra Hats Handicap and the Kempsey Macleay RSL Handicap.

Other sponsors include PYNX-Cranes and Rigging, Crystalite and Seabreeze Hotel South West Rocks.

Then on Sunday its South Coast Timber Eden Cup Day at Sapphire Coast.

There will be a bar operating as well as a kiosk with free buses to and from the track.

The Club still has raceday packages available for $55 and this includes entry, reserved seat in the sponsors room, racebook and a couple of drinks tickets.

“South Coast Timber Eden Cup Raceday is proudly sponsored by South Coast Timber, Eden Sports & Recreation Club, Eden Tyre Power, Hotel Australasia, Florabel and Great Southern Inn,” said Jess O’Donnell, Sapphire Coast Turf Club’s outgoing sponsorship & marketing coordinator.

After seven years this meeting represents the last for Jess who leaves to set up a clothing business in Merimbula.

Muswellbrook Race Club will also race on Sunday with their seven-race Bengalla Cup TAB meeting.

NSW COUNTRY RACE MEETINGS
Monday: Wagga
Tuesday: Bathurst
Thursday: Ballina
Friday: Dubbo, Tamworth
Saturday: Kempsey, Macquarie picnics at Trangie (non-TAB)
Sunday: Sapphire Coast, Muswellbrook