Popular carnival blossoms
FASHION will be to the fore when Queensland’s spring racing carnival continues with the Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba Turf Club’s Clifford Park on Saturday.
The six-week series started last month while the Weetwood now coincides with the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
“The Audi Centre Toowoomba Weetwood is synonymous with style and sophistication off the track, while on the track it’s all about metropolitan racing at its finest,” turf club chief executive Lizzy King said.
“Each year, the Weetwood grows in popularity, especially with the strategic move by Racing Queensland to shift it to spring to coincide with the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
“It’s well placed on the Toowoomba calendar and much loved by the entire community.”
King said the event also provided a financial boost.
“The day is wonderful for the local economy, from bed nights with accommodation through to retail – hair, accessories, fashion.
“The Weetwood brings in well over $1m to the local economy across that weekend, which is phenomenal. The club is extremely proud of this.”
King said the recent Covidaffected years for socialising in Queensland were well and truly in the rear-vision mirror.
“People across Toowoomba and the greater Darling Downs love racing and they especially love Weetwood,” she said.
“We were one of the only major events in Toowoomba that went ahead in 2020 and 2021, under the most strict of conditions, including limits on guest numbers.
“Once we came out of Covid, it was very apparent that people wanted to get out and about and many of them chose racing. The club has seen a very positive growth since those restrictions ended.”
Turf club chairman Kent Woodford is eagerly anticipating the annual event.
“Weetwood means the world to the club,” he said.
“We are so proud to present it each year to our members and guests. Being the standalone metropolitan meeting of the day is our opportunity to showcase our beautiful club.”
There is $150,000 up for grabs in the Weetwood Handicap. The Toowoomba Cup has a prize pot of $125,000, while the Garden City Guineas has $100,000 in prizemoney.
Dating back more than 130 years, the event will showcase rising two and three-year-olds to seasoned gallopers.
Weetwood events held this week included a golf day, community breakfast and the barrier draw.
The TAB Calcutta Sportsman’s Lunch is on Friday, while on race day there will be fashions on the field and live music.