World-Class Racing and Trackside Glamour NEWCASTLE RACECOURSE

• WORDS LIANE MORRIS | FEATURES WRITER

• IMAGES NEWCASTLE JOCKEY CLUB

The highlight of the Newcastle racing calendar takes place this November with a day of world-class racing showcasing and celebrating everything great about the Hunter region with live racing action, glamourous trackside fashion and inspiring activities on course. If you only go to the races one day a year, make it November 18 at your local Newcastle Jockey Club.

Newcastle Racecourse, home to the Newcastle Jockey Club, is the largest, premiere provincial club in NSW with over 100 years of history. In 2019, Racing NSW inaugurated a new prestigious stand-alone Saturday racing event named after the region in which it’s held – The Hunter. This $1 million race has a quality handicap and runs over 1300m. It’s a drawcard to keep elite sprinters and the best jockeys in NSW after The Everest Cup in October, the highlight of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.

For readers who don’t know much about horse racing, this new race, The Hunter, is a big deal and represents an investment by Racing NSW to push into the regional areas of the state to grow the industry and entice a younger demographic. Newcastle already hosts over forty race meetings per year as well as several significant race days, including the Boxing Day race meeting, Pink Race Day in July to raise funds for the Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation, the Newcastle Stakes Race Day in March and a two-day Spring Racing Carnival in September. Most Saturday races, the premier race day, are held in Sydney at either Rosehill or Randwick. There are only five stand-alone races that are held outside of Sydney, and of those, only two of them have the increased prize money of $1 million to attract the elite of the industry – The Hunter in Newcastle and The Gong in Wollongong, held one week after The Hunter.

Chief Executive Officer at Newcastle Jockey Club, Duane Dowell, sees the race as an opportunity to showcase everything the Hunter region has to offer to visitors and locals alike.

“We’ve got more than 5,000 people expected to attend on the day, and many of our hospitality packages sold out within 24 hours,” said Duane.

“We’ve had to open new entertainment precincts to accommodate the demand. It’s an opportunity to showcase all that we love about Newcastle, and we use it to promote visitation to our area.

“There are lots of activations planned for the day to enhance the race day experience, including the Charlestown Square Fashions on the Field, Pamper Stations, local food and wine offerings from suppliers such as Hungerford Hill and Earp Distillery, multiple live music acts throughout the precinct, including the world renowned ‘Sneaky Sound System’ who will be playing after the last race to complete the day.”

Duane has been in the role for two years and was previously employed at the Muswellbrook Race Club as the Chief Executive Officer, where he is recognised for turning around the fortunes of the once struggling club and twice winning the Country Race Club of the Year Award.

“I grew up in the upper Hunter and worked for many years as an electrical engineer in mining. I always had a fascination and passion for the races, though, and went to TAFE to study business before making the big career change. Mining and racing have more in common than one would think – both are high-risk industries with safety and culture issues to address. I learnt from my mentor, Helen Sinclair, who has managed several racing clubs over the years –it was better than any university course I could do!

“We have an amazing team here at the Newcastle Jockey Club. It’s a much bigger enterprise and runs like a well-oiled machine. It’s also a lot of fun!”

Addressing some of the racing industry animal welfare concerns that often hit the headlines in the media, Duane is keen to show his support for the recent development of Equimillions – a competition exclusively for retired racing thoroughbreds.

“What people generally don’t understand is that thoroughbred horses love racing. But they still have much to give when their racing career ends. To help address how we look after horses when they’ve finished racing, Racing NSW and Equestrian Australia have joined forces to create the inaugural $1 million Equimillion Equestrian competition, and we were very excited and proud to sponsor two competitors. The event is across four disciplines – Eventing, Showjumping, Dressage and Show Horse and awarded to Junior, Amateur and Open Professional Competitors within each division. It’s a wonderful way to promote ownership of ex-racehorses, and with such a big prize pool, it is a real incentive.”

Duane and his team have also been working on a ten-year strategic plan to diversify revenue streams and redevelop the stables. Already one of the biggest training centres in NSW with over 250 horses training at the racecourse, they are keen to get approval for plans that include new stables, updated facilities and non-race related residential and commercial developments.

One thing that won’t change is the club’s commitment to raising money for various charities through their race days. Around $1 million is raised each year for local charities, including the Mark Hughes Foundation, Pink Race Day for Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation, Lifeline and the Hunter Melanoma Foundation.

“We’re very proud of our ability to support local charities like these and to give back to our community,” said Duane.

“We’ve enjoyed continuous growth over the past 12 months, with patronage up by 40 per cent pre-COVID. We’re seeing younger people, ages 18 to 25, dressing up on a Saturday and coming here for their weekend entertainment –it’s become sexy again.”

If you’re planning to join in the fun on The Hunter race day, tickets are selling fast. General admission is $30 per person and provides entry to the racecourse with access to the public grandstand, lawn areas and Ascot Bar. Hospitality packages in most of the venues have sold out, including The Hunter Lawn, The Leger Lawn, The Charlestown Square Trackside Marquee, The Meadows Marquee, Chevals Restaurant, Pavilion Room, Mark Murphy Lounge and the Ascot Lawn.

At the time of writing, tickets were still available to the Punters Pack at $50 per person, with tables sold in four. This provides a reserved seat in the heart of the action with a big screen, bookmaker and bar facilities in the Betting Ring. With only a short walk to the live action trackside, enjoy the atmosphere of both areas. Tickets include entry, pre-allocated seating in the Betting Ring and one race book and pen per person.

Limited tickets are available to the Member’s Lounge, which offers perfect views over the Parade Ring, across to the Winning Post and Big Screen. This lounge area includes bars, a bistro, bookmakers and Tote facilities. Dress regulations apply for the Member’s Enclosure. With only a few seats left, bookings must be made by calling the club on 02 4961 1573; various prices apply.

To ensure you have everything you could possibly need for a fabulous day out, there are nine platters and grazing boxes that can be pre-ordered ranging in price from $59 for the 25 Shades of Graze for two to four people with a selection of locally sourced fresh produce including cheese, charcuterie, crackers & dip to $185 for the Seafood Delight for five to ten people featuring shucked rock oysters, fresh prawns, Atlantic smoked salmon, fried soft shell crab, beer-battered flathead fillets, salt and pepper squid with caper mayonnaise, fresh salad and fruit. There’s even a gluten-free option with the I'm Gluten Free platter at $70 for two to three people with souvlaki chicken skewers, wild mushroom arancini, bocconcini and cherry tomato skewers, Vietnamese rice paper rolls, smoked salmon dill and caper rolls.

If desserts are more to your taste, try Something Sweet for $80, featuring 30 pieces with a selection of mini cakes, petit fours and macaroons or check out the website for the full menu. Orders must be placed by noon the Wednesday before race day. For reserved seating, the platters and boxes will be delivered to your table within 30 minutes of your nominated time. For those without reserved seats, the orders can be collected from the Ascot Bar at your nominated time.

With names like James McDonald, Tommy Berry and Tim Clark all likely to feature on the day, racing media will be fully focused on Newcastle and The Hunter.

When the thrill of the races is done for the day, you can celebrate your wins on the dance floor with Sneaky Sound System performing live. Miss Connie and producer/DJ Angus McDonald have been making beautiful music together since their three-time platinum debut album in 2006. Since then, they have been regulars on the festival touring circuit with a reputation for creating the tunes that get the party started and keep it going. The duo has recently released a new collaboration with eminent Swedish producer John Dahlbäck –Fire Keeps Burning, and it's proving as popular as their older timeless hits.

No day at the races would be complete without special consideration of what one should wear. Newcastle Racecourse encourages all visitors to celebrate the history and exhilaration of racing and dress up for the premier social occasions of the year. From the finest dresses, the most exquisite millinery, and the elegance of a well-tailored suit, fashion sets the tone for a day of racing, style, entertainment and fun. It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to dress to impress.

Newcastle has a long and proud history of horse racing, with races being held here since 1848 on a track cleared through bush and scrub in an area known as Wallaby Flat, which took in most of Hamilton, a portion of Broadmeadow (including parts of today’s track) and Merewether. Newcastle Jockey Club was formed in 1907 and is today considered one of Australia's leading and most progressive racing clubs, taking full advantage of its proximity to the rich breeding areas of the Hunter Valley and offering a significant training centre for the state of NSW.

Membership of this premier racing club is a great way to enjoy all the hospitality, entertainment and thrill of the races and is surprisingly affordable, with several options available. It provides access to pre-release ticket sales and the newly refurbished Member’s Lounge. Full individual membership begins at $140, but it’s only $70 for pensioners or students, and there’s a December to June option for $70 as well. Corporate membership comes in at just under $3,500 and offers a wonderful way to entertain clients and staff.

There’s no need to travel to Sydney to enjoy the Spring Racing Carnival anymore. With The Hunter right here on our local racecourse, it’s our region, town, and race in the spotlight for all to see. Enjoy the thrills, dressing up, fabulous food and beverage options, and the after-party fun. It’s The Hunter, and it’s ours.