by Michael Howard
Trainers and a loyal local community have rallied around a re-emerging club to ensure a blockbuster return of Birchip trots.
Sunday’s Sharp’s Bakery Mallee Bull Pacing Cup marks the first time racing has featured at Birchip since 2005 and club secretary Brad Sharp said the wave of nominations flooding in for the race day had provided welcome relief.
“It has been really encouraging,” Mr Sharp said. “This was our biggest worry, that you put all the work in and don’t get the fields, but it’s great that the trainers have gotten behind us.”
And the flood of floats to the Berriwillock Rd track looks like being more than matched by race goers.
“It’s coming along really well,” Mr Sharp said. “We will have four busloads coming, one from Bendigo, one from Horsham, one from Wycheproof and one from Wedderburn.
“Birchip (football team) plays a practice match on Saturday against another team and they are staying over for the trots too. Birchip is a town of 800 people and I reckon we will get 500 local people to it.”
That confidence is fuelled by the town’s already heavy investment, happy to see the cup come home after it had been held at Charlton and Swan Hill since the club was closed for racing in 2005.
“For the last five years we have been saying how long are we going to keep doing this for, we had pretty much given up hope of hosting again,” Mr Sharp said. “It was great when we were given the cup back.
“The locals have really gotten behind it and if we’ve ever needed anything, whether it be labour or machinery, everyone has bent over backwards to help out.
“All the facilities were still there, but they had been neglected for 10 to 12 years. Everything needed a spruce, which has happened and now it’s all good to go.”
That support has also been reflected on the club’s books. Having attracted only $1400 sponsorship for their last cup meeting at Swan Hill the club has this year raised $13,000 in sponsorship, the vast majority coming from local businesses.
And the locals are in it for the long-term, with the club’s committee having swelled to 26, of which 20 members were aged under 40.
“We have got some really young blood in and they’ve run with it,” Mr Sharp said.
In addition to full fields there will be plenty of off-course activities to keep track goers occupied.
Entry will be free, a boon for families with the day also offering free children’s activities including face painting, a jumping castle and pony rides.
“There will also be an owners’ bar, with happy hour for any owner who is on course, and they can enter a raffle, which has a prize for a service from stallion Auckland Reactor courtesy of Alabar,” Mr Sharp said.
The race day will have full TAB facilities and be broadcast on Sky Racing.
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