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The Australian Turf Club Foundation will expedite $50,000 in funding for racing industry participants and race clubs affected by the ongoing flood emergency in NSW as part new community grants announced today.

The $50,000 will be on top of a further $150,000 to be dispersed to equine and charitable organisations across NSW under a fifth round of grants from the ATC Foundation.

The ATC Foundation will work closely with the NSW racing industry in some of the worst affected regions to identify practical ways the donations can be used.

In previous years the ATC Foundation has provided emergency deliveries of hay bales, fencing and race club infrastructure during flood and bushfire disasters.

ATC Chairman Matthew McGrath has reached out to Northern NSW race clubs to offer the assistance of ATC and ATC Foundation, to work together in providing financial assistance and support for affected infrastructure.

As part of a total of $200,000 in the latest donations, 14 other organisations who made applications to the ATC Foundation will receive sums of $5000 to $21,000 from funds raised within the racing industry and Australian Turf Club customers on Sydney racecourses.

Amongst this total was a donation by Mr Boniface Ho, the owner of TAB Everest runner Classique Legend, who gave a percentage of prizemoney earned in the world’s richest race on turf last October.

Along with this donation, contributions from Australian Turf Club Members and the sale of merchandise and racing memorabilia such as saddle cloths also helped to raise funds.

Funds raised on course through the sale of official pins during the forthcoming Sydney Autumn Racing carnival will also be used for flood relief.

Since the ATC Foundation was started in 2018, more than $700,000 has already been raised and distributed to racing and community groups around Sydney racecourses as well as towns across NSW.

ATC Foundation Chair Trish Egan said one of the priorities of the ATC Foundation was to distribute funds as quickly as possible.

“The ATC Foundation is very proud of its record in getting these funds immediately to so many groups in need,’’ Ms Egan said.

“We will work quickly to get practical help and much needed funds to communities and the racing industry in northern NSW who have been devastated by this flooding.

“We again thank Mr Boniface Ho who has been incredibly generous over the past two years in donating five per cent of all prizemoney won by Classique Legend in consecutive runnings of the TAB Everest.

“ATC Members and our customers have also been very quick to help when it has been most needed.’’

Click here for full details of the ATC Foundation and how to apply for funding.