As the weather heats up in the Mid West coastal town, racegoers are racing to the Geraldton Turf Club with the season off to a strong start.
Geraldton Turf Club, the oldest provincial race club in regional WA, remains a hotspot for community connection and serves as a popular social hub.
Local trainer Barry Newnham is coming off a cracker season where he claimed the TABtouch Geraldton Gold Cup. However, despite his success, Newnham says training remains a hobby.
His Deepdale stable is small but strong, running just a handful of horses this year including the decorated What A Prince.
The gelding took out top honours last season, winning the Geraldton Gold Cup and was named Geraldton Turf Club’s horse of the year.
“(What A Prince) is taking his time to come back this season, he didn’t spell real well… just got to take my time getting him back,” Newnham said.
While the Mid West resident trains thoroughbreds as a hobby, he still has lofty ambitions for one of his veteran horses this season.
“We look ahead and see where we can go, but I only do it for a hobby… it keeps you getting out of bed and something to do,” Newnham said.
“I’m pretty happy and excited about an old horse I had last year that won four straight, Designated Drinker – I trailed him the other day…couldn’t have been more happy.
“He did have an injury to his tendon and had a year off, we’ve done a hell of a lot of work to get him back… he is a horse that is capable of starting in a Geraldton Cup for sure.”
Racing has a rich history in the Mid West, generating $37.6 million of the $1.3 billion that the industry contributes to the WA economy each year.
The sport also sustains around 300 full-time equivalent jobs across the region.
Newnham said the success of the region’s racing industry was thanks in part to the Geraldton Turf Club’s manager, who received high praise for keeping the track in tip top shape.
“Geraldton’s going very well, and thanks to David Wrensted, he doesn’t lay down, he keeps at it, and at it, and at it – and there’s a lot of horses here,” he said.
“It’s a big show at Geraldton, you only have to look at it.
“When you walk on Geraldton racetrack, even (William) Pike said it looks like Gosford, that’s how well (Wrensted) has got it looking.”
Wrensted said that a lot of work goes into keeping the track up to standard.
“It’s been a long process over many, many years – not just now but it’s a case of trying to make the track as good as you can,” he said.
“The weather conditions don’t make it easy… we’re trying to make that more appealing for people to attend.”
The season kicked off with a bang, with more than 2000 keen punters attending the Ladies Day race meeting – a club record for the calendar event.
“We’re very happy with how things are going on the season, things are tough on the economy but we’re holding up well,” Wrensted said.
“The race numbers have been really good… the racing has been really competitive.”
Although Geraldton is no longer a “small country town”, Wrensted said racing remained an important part of the city’s culture – a sentiment that Newnham shared.
“There is a lot of young people getting into the races in Geraldton at the moment,” he said.
“Geraldton will always prosper and kick along, there’s a lot of old fellas in their 80s, and they still have shares in horses because that’s the passion of Geraldton racing.
“Those old fellas haven’t lost anything out of their heart for racing.”
