{"id":226432,"date":"2019-01-21T18:54:26","date_gmt":"2019-01-21T08:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=226432"},"modified":"2020-07-25T11:30:59","modified_gmt":"2020-07-25T01:30:59","slug":"wondai-racegoers-beat-the-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/01\/21\/wondai-racegoers-beat-the-heat\/","title":{"rendered":"Wondai Racegoers Beat The Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cheyenne Gamble, from North Queensland, joined friends Donna Robinson, Hivesville, and Belynda Hiron, Cloyna, under the betting ring’s shade … it was a popular location for many Wondai racegoers on Saturday<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

January 21, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The hot weather didn’t scare away punters from the South Burnett Race Club’s bonus summer meeting on Saturday, much to the delight of race club officials.<\/p>\n

Wondai secured the extra meeting in mid-December after Gayndah Race Club abandoned the spot.<\/p>\n

The race club had barely a month to put the January meeting together but as things turned out, punters had an exciting time with two favourites bringing home the money.<\/p>\n

The Warana Hotel-Motel, Project Water and Hams Crane Hire stepped forward to sponsor three of the day’s five races; and race club stalwart Chris Nettelfield sponsored the Fashions Of The Field prizes.<\/p>\n

The heat led many patrons to seek shade near the betting ring or high up in the grandstand.<\/p>\n

South Burnett Race Club patron Roy Radunz said the club had been hoping to expand its race meetings from three to four for many years, and had leapt on the Gayndah opportunity when it came up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While he agreed the timing wasn’t ideal – with many people still away on holidays and others juggling back-to-school expenses – he hoped the extra meeting might become a permanent addition to the club’s racing schedule in future.<\/p>\n

In 2010, Wondai lost its Anzac Day meeting date after Queensland Racing awarded it to Beaudesert, then to Chinchilla.<\/p>\n

This reduced the club to just two meetings a year until 2013, when Wondai secured the Anzac Day meeting again.<\/p>\n

Since then, patronage at the track has boomed and in recent years the South Burnett Race Club has used the funds this has produced to begin a long-term refurbishment program..<\/p>\n

This has already seen several improvements to the racecourse, including new fencing around the mounting yard and along the concourse.<\/p>\n