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By Mark Brassel

Muswellbrook Race Club’s Gold Cup has gone astray and anyone with any information on its whereabouts is asked to contact the Club.

Well, that’s not exactly factual – MRC has the trophy stored safely for this Friday … April 1!

There’ll be no fooling around, with the Club planning a huge day with $445,000 in prizemoney on offer for the eight-race card.

Itz Lily parades after claiming last year's Muswellbrook Gold Cup. Image by Bradley Photographers

MRC’s new general manager, Trevor Taylor said: “Our monstrous Gold Cup Day features the $150,000 Muswellbrook Showcase Gold Cup over 1500m.

“We are grateful that it has been declared a public holiday from 12pm for everyone in the community to head out and enjoy a day at the races.

“Patrons will also be supporting the wonderful equine industry in our prestigious Hunter Valley that supports thousands of jobs.

“There has been a name change to the Cup as we recently had 50 of our Gold Sponsors go into a fun draw and the Royal Hotel in Muswellbrook was the lucky winner.

“They receive the naming rights to the Cup so this year the feature race is The Royal Hotel Muswellbrook Gold Cup.

“We’ve organised a large Bengalla Fashion on Fields event with more than $3000 in prizes on offer.

“And aside from The Royal Muswellbrook Gold Cup, we also have prestigious events such as the Horsepower Showcase Skellatar Sprint worth $75,000, and the $50,000 BHP Wayne Harris Showcase Handicap.

“We’ll open our gates at 11am and we will also be promoting the afternoon on radio, Prime 7 TV and in various newspapers and social media.”

Sapphire Coast Turf Club’s popular Mitre 10 Tradies Raceday is also this Friday.

“It’s the perfect time of year to head to the Sapphire Coast and make a long weekend of it with races on Friday, golf on Saturday and a relaxed Sunday,” declared Jess O’Donnell, SCTC’s sponsorship & marketing coordinator.

“We’ll have our inaugural human wheelbarrow race for the tradies with free buses to and from the track.”

And its Ladies Day at Gundagai Cup Day next Sunday with the Club organising a Champagne Lunch trackside with tickets available at the gate.

Gundagai-Adelong Race Club’s secretary, Len Tozer said more than $200,000 in prizemoney will be offered at the Club’s Gundagai Cup meeting.

“It’s Ladies Day with free entry for Ladies and a luncheon with live music and plenty of other entertainment.”

Winner of the $34,000 Gundagai Cup (1800m) receives a golden ticket into the $200,000 D & S Taber Electrical Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) on Friday 6 May.

And Tomingley picnics will be held on Saturday with a couple of interesting competitions on the day – ‘Most outstanding moustache’ and ‘Most outstanding mullet’.

Club president, Jason Hartin said: “There's so much happening on the day and a lot of prizes to be won on and off the track.”

The six-race program is supplemented by a Fashions on the Field event offering prizes across an array of categories for men, women and children to the value of $5,000.

UPCOMING NSW COUNTRY RACE MEETINGS
Monday: Queanbeyan, Quirindi
Tuesday: Scone
Thursday: Port Macquarie
Friday: Sapphire Coast, Muswellbrook
Saturday: Taree, Warialda (non-TAB), Hillston (non-TAB), Tomingley picnics (non-TAB)
Sunday: Mudgee, Gundagai