RACING
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IT’S still over a month away, but the Orange Gold Cup will be firmly in Racing Orange’s minds when the club hosts Sunday’s family fun day at Towac Park.
Sunday’s TAB meeting is the final race day in Orange before the rich cup race is staged at Towac Park, and interim Racing Orange chief executive officer Daniel Brincat said the club was keen to build on the success of last year’s event.
“We’ve still got Racing NSW officials talking about the quality of field (for the 2013 Orange Gold Cup) 12 months down the track,” Brincat enthused.
“We’re expecting similar this year.”
With nominations for Sunday’s family fun day race meeting already strong, Brincat and Racing Orange officials are now looking to engage metropolitan and country trainers alike over the next five weeks in order to attract another bumper Gold Cup field on April 11.
Last year Jimmy Fortunes stormed home to claim the $55,000 Hartfords Menswear Orange Gold Cup, blitzing a field Racing Orange officials deemed the strongest the Cup has seen in over three decades.
Brincat said hard work brought about last year’s cup field and in 2014, a similar tact will succeed again.
“Email worked for us last year,” he said.
“Come April 11 a few people are probably going to be sick of seeing Racing Orange emails in their inbox but it worked really well for us in generating plenty of interest in the meeting.”
Sunday’s TAB meeting has already attracted strong numbers, with Alison Smith leading the Orange charge alongside Brian Buckley, Don Oakley, Lee Van den Bos, Jeff Brasch and Sylvia Szabo.
Also nominating for Sunday’s meeting, Hawkesbury’s Bjorn Baker is one of the metro-based trainers who has become a regular attendee at Towac Park.
Brincat was pleased with numbers during what is a busy period for the central districts.
“Bathurst had their cup meeting on Sunday and Dubbo has a TAB two meeting on Saturday and we’re TAB one on Sunday,” he said.
“There’s a few meetings in the region at the moment but with the [Wellington] Boot and our Cup day coming up, it’s an exciting time for the district.
“A lot of the trainers and jockeys we’ve secured at the moment are becoming regulars at our meetings.
“It’s a good thing for us to be getting this sort of calibre on a regular basis.”
Gates open at 12pm at Towac Park on Sunday. Acceptances are finalised today.