Big Crowd Turns Out For Legacy

Murgon’s Anzac Day guest speaker Trudi Lines, Townsville, spent a relaxing afternoon at the track with Simone Taylor, Murgon; Kristy McNaught, Bribie Island; Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington and Men’s Fashion winner David Roberts, Bribie Island

April 30, 2019

South Burnett Race Club officials breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday when big crowds turned out at Wondai Racecourse for the annual Anzac Day meeting.

The meeting is a fundraiser for Legacy, which looks after the dependants of deceased Australian servicemen and women.

With a late Easter this year, there had been concerns Nanango’s Easter Saturday meeting held five days earlier might affect Wondai’s crowd numbers.

But the fears quickly proved unfounded.

More than 300 patrons passed through the gates within an hour of opening, and guests continued to roll in over the course of the afternoon for what is traditionally one of club’s biggest meetings of the year.

On the track, the strong attendance translated into booked-out marquees, a busy betting ring, and a bumper field of contestants for the popular Fashions of the Field competitions.

Patrons travelled from Toowoomba, Gympie and Brisbane to take part in the meeting, while many others came from across the local region.

Many had attended Anzac Day commemorations earlier in the day, including MP Deb Frecklington – who attended a Dawn Service at Currumbin and then Kingaroy’s commemoration service – and RAAF veteran Trudi Lines, who was this year’s guest speaker at Murgon’s Anzac Day commemorations.

On the track, punters who backed favourites had little joy with only one highly fancied runner securing a win.

The race that drew most interest was the final contest of the day – the Wondai Diggers Club Cup – where Hivesville trainer Lindsay Anderson entered last year’s winner Clouds in the hope of taking the cup home two years in a row.

Lindsay’s wish looked like being granted until the last few metres of this hotly contested race, when close rival Supervisor managed to get its nose ahead at the winning post.

The next South Burnett race meeting will be the Burrandowan Picnic Races on Saturday, May 11, followed by Nanango’s Autumn Race Meeting at Lee Park on May 25.

Heidi Lee, Candice Sippel and Holly Keliher – all from Murgon – were a stylish trackside trio

Fashion judges Cr Ros Heit and Deb Dennien scanned the crowd for entrants with competition organiser Cr Kathy Duff

Toowoomba milliner Christine Baker, centre, won the Women’s fashion competition, and was congratulated by judges Deb Dennien, Cr Ros Heit, Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff and Arthur Nettelfield

A large number of young girls took part in the girls fashion competition, including sisters Karly, 5, and Chloe List, 3, from Wondai; twins Brooke and Bianca Dabondi, from Proston; Tayla Mawhinney, 7, from Goomeri; Heidi Maudsley, 8, from Tansey; and Morgan Mawhinney, 9, from Goomeri

The boys fashion competition also drew a solid line-up of entrants, and was won by Olly Raffin, 4, from Wondai

South Burnett women’s soccer players Sarah Kemp (Barambah) and Rahab Murray (Gunners) had a day off at the track with ‘soccer mum’ Jerusha Schofield, centre

Hayden Garrel, Kobi McLellan and Gaz Davis travelled from the home of the Gympie Davils to attend the meeting

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In the fourth race of the day, Lil Ruby Rose (Robert Faehr) lived up to many punters’ expectations, taking the win by half a length from Accumulated (Hannah English)

Results

Race 1 – Kingaroy RSL BenchMark 65 Handicap (800m)
1. Master Denrho (2) – Maurice Crawford
2. Machu Picchu (3) – Hannah English
3. Triple Won (4) – Jason Missen
Time: 0:50.81
Margins: 1 3/4 lengths x 4 1/2 lengths

Race 2 – Anzac Day Races At Wondai BenchMark 45 Handicap (1000m)
1. Kentford (3) – Hannah English
2. Royal Equiano (1) – Robert Faehr
3. Sanjay (6) – Matthew Milford
Time: 0:59.76
Margins: Neck x 3 3/4 lengths

Race 3 – Wondai RSL Maiden Plate (1000m)
1. Carrock (2) – Hannah English
2. Seventy Below (1) – Miki Nakao
3. Mia Singa (7) – Jason Missen
Time: 1:02.04
Margins: Neck x Half Head

Race 4 – Deb Frecklington MP QTIS BenchMark 60 Handicap (1100m)
1. Lil Ruby Rose (4) – Robert Faehr
2. Accumulated (5) – Hannah English
3. Dirty Rascal (3) – Minonette Kennedy
Time: 1:06.39
Margins: 1/2 length x 1 1/4 lengths

Race 5 – Wondai Diggers Club Cup BenchMark 55 Handicap (1465m)
1. Supervisor (5) – Joshua King
2. Clouds (1) – Joshua Morrow
3. Prince Of Flinders (3) – Miki Nakao
Time: 1:32.40
Margins: Nose x Length