Horsham set for cup

There’s been a steady buzz of excitement building throughout the Wimmera during the past month or so as sports, entertainment and hospitality stage a comeback to those heady days pre-lockdown.

Hot To Trot harness racing is next in line with the 2022 The Weekly Advertiser Horsham Pacing Cup highlighting an afternoon of action, entertainment and fellowship at Horsham Racing Centre on Sunday.

Gates open at noon with the usual QR code and proof of vaccination required for entry.

Then chip in a gold coin donation for Royal Flying Doctor Service Rural Mental Health Services and you are on the way to a great community event.

Don’t forget to put your entry into the barrel for a chance to be one of 10 Traction Ag Owners For A Day and enjoy having a starter in their sponsored race later in the afternoon.

Pre-race you’ll get to meet up with your horse, trainer and driver and enjoy the hospitality in the Horsham owner’s enclosure.

Watch your horse in the parade ring, follow it on to the track for a warm-up, then ride the emotions from start to finish.

If your judge posts your number in the winner’s frame it’s off to the presentation dais to collect a $1000 cheque from Traction Ag’s sales manager Anthony Redford.

You can unpack the Esky and picnic basket with ‘bring your own’ permitted in reasonable quantities on the grassed areas, but no glass.

Pick your favourite spot and settle down to follow all the action, on and off the track, with the big screen operating to bring you up close.

Entertainment

Horsham club chief executive Jo Cross said there would be live music from popular regional duo Darryn Wardle and Jeff Woodward to enjoy between the races.

“The kids will also be well looked after with ‘Fantasy Faces by Sonia’, free showbags and activities,” she said.

Horses and riders from the ‘HERO’ program are a fan favourite wherever they appear and ‘Lochlee’ and ‘Nardoo’ will be in Horsham for patrons young and old to get up close and personal, before they lead the field out to contest the day’s feature event, $60,000 The Weekly Advertiser Horsham Pacing Cup.

For those who like a flutter, the Punters Club at $10 a ticket is the way to go with a seeded starting pool of $500 and first 150 tickets also with a free $10 betting voucher. A full TAB service will operate on Horsham and venues nationwide that race, chase or pace.

Stawell bookmaker Peter Stiles is fielding and the Victorian Bookmakers Association has donated lucky betting vouchers to give away.

The powerful Emma Stewartclayton Tonkin camp will be looking to add a sixth Horsham Cup trophy to their mantelpiece after victories with Safari, 2006, Philadelphia Man, 2015, Major Secret, 2017, Shadow Sax, 2018, and Mach Dan, 2021.

The stable celebrated a one-two finish on Saturday night in the $50,000 Terang Pacing Cup and will be hoping for a similar result on Sunday with Like A Wildfire and Phoenix Prince.

Lemnos trainer Russell Jack has nominated the recent $30,000 Ararat Pacing Cup winner Perfect Stride and stablemate Boots Electric, $35,000 at Cobram, and will weigh up the options. The pair finished one-two in last year’s $60,000 South Australian Pacing Cup.

Also in the mix for a start at Horsham are the Ararat minor placegetters, Bettor Be The Bomb, second, and Major Roll, fourth.

Horsham is Hot To Trot!