Werribee Cup 2017

NOVEMBER 22, 2017 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU

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TAB Werribee Cup

Sunday 10th December Werribee racing’s big day

Join Cup Ambassadors, actor and local business owner Kevin Harrington, and model Daria Messina, for a great day of racing.

Live music, FREE kids activities, an appearance from Santa and all the colour and excitement of the big race.

werribeeracingclub.com.au

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21/11/2017 2:24:28 PM

Our Local Cup - “BIG DAY PREDICTED” How to get there:

Werribee Racecourse, 2-10 Bulban Road, Werribee By train: Trains run frequently from the CBD to Werribee. The train station is about three kilometres from the course.

By bus: Buses run from Werribee station to the course.

What to know:

The Werribee Cup is held on the second Sunday of December each year, which this year falls on December 10.

Gates open at 11.30am.

There will be free activities for kids and an appearance from Santa.

Live music.

Kiosk, bars and food trucks cater to everyone on the day.

The TAB Werribee Cup is going from strength to strength, with a crowd of about 4500 to 5500 expected this year.

There will be eight races on the day, the first scheduled for around 1pm and the last around 5pm.

Werribee Racing Club General Manager Glenn Scott says locking down a consistent date has been a key driver to the cup’s success, with the club clocking a new record for recent years with more than 1000 individual marquee packages sold.

“This is the third year in a row the cup has been conducted on the same date,” he says.

“It doubles-up as a fantastic work Christmas party as well, and I think this has helped with sales of private events as well.

“There may still be some dining packages in our popular upstairs dining room, if people are still looking for a Christmas party booking.”

General admission tickets cost $25 at the gate or $20 online.

“Prior to 2007, for over 50 years, the Werribee Cup was held on the Wednesday before the Melbourne Cup and crowds of up to 20,000 were not unheard of as the cup was held on a public holiday,” Glenn says.

“However, due to Racing Victoria establishing its quarantine centre for international horses here in Werribee in 2010, the cup could no longer be held on the traditional Wednesday before the Melbourne Cup. “We’ve finally hit a formula that is working and the locals are getting on board again … we are building back up momentum, which is great for locals, for country racing and for Werribee Racing Club.”

More information: www.country.racing.com/ werribee

FRIDAY

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Entertainment on the day: for kids, families, the young, and young at heart The 2017 Werribee Cup will be a great day for the whole family and a great opportunity for friends to gather.

It is one of the most popular race days on the Victorian country racing calendar.

With loads of entertainment on offer, guests can pack picnics or just get dressed in their finest and choose from the many dining and hospitality options.

FOR THE KIDS Supervised and free kids activities will run throughout the day, so come with the kids and make a day of it.

Plenty on offer for the kids including face-painting, a jumping castle and train rides.

LIVE MUSIC There will be two music points, with the music starting at 11.30am as the gates open.

Food and dining • There is easy access to all of Werribee Racetrack’s bars, located in various parts of the race track.

• Marquee packages have almost sold out, but there are dining packages still available. Check out www.country.racing.com/werribee to book or phone 9741 1800.

• Four food trucks will be located in the food court.

• Purchase tickets to the ‘Mix ‘n’ Mingle’ marquee online. This marquee is located on the raised ‘Marquee Hill lawn area in the Mix ‘n’ Mingle Marquee, with elevated views of the Werribee Racecourse.

• The Werribee Racecourse kiosk will be open as usual.

One-on-one with champion trainer Darren Weir

Darren Weir is a star among trainers, with a career that spans 22 years. He won the 2015 Melbourne Cup with Prince of Penzance in an historic triumph in which Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win in the Cup. With more than 400 wins last year alone – an Australian record – he is favourite to win the Werribee Cup this year. He talks to Samantha Freestone.

Darren Weir sounds calm and low-key.

Perhaps that relaxed attitude is part of the reason he has trained so many winners.

The approachable grass-roots track man, who got his start as a farrier and breaker, says his training philosophy is simple.

“I run them every day and make sure they are well fed,” he says.

Darren Weir Stables, which has up to 200 horses at any given time, has what it calls “the system”, through which all horses – whether they end up being champions or not – are run at the beginning of their tenure with the business.

“If we get a new horse in the stable, we put them through our system, and then fine-tune the training regime after that, depending on how they perform,” Darren says.

“The first eight weeks is pretty similar. After that, if you think they are too slow, you work them more. If they are springy, then you focus on technique.”

Darren is preparing two horses for this year’s Werribee Cup.

Star Weekly can confirm that either Pacodali, a five-year-old 15-hand black gelding who ran second in the Moe Cup last start; or Articus, a six year-old 16-hand bay gelding, will run in this year’s cup on December 10.

From his Miners Rest-based headquarters, Darren says Pacodali “is a really nice horse” and his favourite to run on the day.

“He’s probably my main one at the moment,” he says.

Riding the Darren Weir-horse in the Cup will be either Damian Lane or Brad Rawiller.

Glenn Scott, General Manager of the Werribee Racing Club, calls Darren “the best trainer in Australia”.

The Weir stables have had plenty of success at the Werribee Cup in past years.

Darren trained 2016 and 2015 Werribee Cup winner Highchurch, as well as Tallship, another Werribee winner.

Darren has had some amazing mentors throughout his career and has worked for the Coffy family, John Castlemaine, Colin Hayes and Terry O’Sullivan.

Image courtesy of Racing Photos

Give yourself the gift of a new lifestyle All I want for Xmas: Less maintenance More holidays Less stress More exercise Meet new people Join one of our luxurious retirement communities and throw away the secateurs, join a yoga class with your new friends, then lock and leave before you cruise!

Enjoy a complimentary Christmas Lunch with all the trimmings.

Call 1800 123 131 for further details.

Freecall 1800 123 131 83 Kulin Drive, Tarneit wyndhamgrange.com.au

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STAR WEEKLY 22 NOVEMBER 2017

The Wakeful Club Award: recognising Victoria’s best strappers The Wakeful Club Award is an important part of the Victorian country racing calendar that pays tribute to often unsung heroes.

Awarded to the best presented horse and strapper on race day, the award honours the hard work of strappers and their contribution to Victorian racing.

Since 2014, the Victorian Wakeful Club has presented a $200 cash prize to a strapper at country cup meetings.

Victorian Wakeful Club president Christine Downing says both strapper and horse must be well turned out.

“We recognise and understand the amount of work and effort that is required and that it starts long before race day to get a thoroughbred to the track,” she says. “We attend races from Manangatang to Stony Creek, Warrnambool to Mansfield.

“Our members volunteer their time to attend, judge and present the strapper with his or her award. It’s a great part of the race day.”

From million-dollar winners to first-time country starters, horses require a lot of care and their strappers are the ones who do most of it.

Christine says they are often poorly paid compared to jockeys and trainers, nor do they have the same high profiles.

“We often find, because it is based on presentation and not place winning, we award the strapper of a horse that may be unplaced in the race,” she says.

Last year the club presented 25 strapper awards across the state.

The club and the awards are named after famous race mare Wakeful, who was bred in Australia in 1896 and started 44 times for 25 wins, 12 seconds and four thirds.

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SUNDAY, 10TH DECEMBER 2017

 LI V E MUSIC  APPE AR ANCE BY SANTA  FOO D COURT * LIMITED Hospitality & Dining Packages still available

Bookings close Friday 1st December 2017

Bookings close Friday 1st Dec 2017 (Unless sold out)

Gates open 11.30am Admission $25 or $20 online

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 LOTS OF FREE K I DS AC TI V ITIE S