Liam Durkin
ALL country racing eyes will be fixed on Moe for the Anzac Day meeting this Sunday.
Moe Racing Club will be the only Victorian country racing club to hold a meeting on the day, and has a seven-race card on the agenda.
Course staff have been busy at work preparing the track, which is expected to be in prime condition by Sunday.
The course proper has undergone an extensive upgrade, with the track transforming from sand to lush grass in just a matter of weeks.
In more good news, Sunday’s meeting will also be the first real opportunity for crowds to converge on Moe, after the Local Cups and Community Race Day fell during the February snap lockdown.
Moe Racing Club chief executive officer Shane Berry said the club was looking forward to the meeting and more so, welcoming crowds back.
“We’re hoping to get a lot of locals come back to racing just to enjoy it,” he said.
“It’s going to be a special day for everybody. We are the only meeting, apart from Flemington, on the day so we would like to see a lot of general admission come along.
“People can just rock up, buy a ticket at the gate, bring the kids along, bring a picnic and enjoy the day.”
To reciprocate the support of racegoers, Moe Racing Club will also help out a vast number of sporting clubs on the day.
“For every sporting club that we sponsor, which there is a plethora of, whether it be a football club, cricket club, soccer club, just mention that club at the gate as you pay your general admission and we’ll donate half that back to the club,” Mr Berry said
“We sponsor a number of clubs around the area, it’s what it’s all about in community – we look after each other.”
The club will hold a flag raising ceremony to start the day in honour of the Anzacs, while the annual Anzac
Day clash between Collingwood and Essendon will be shown throughout.
The usual aspects associated with a day at the races will also be back out in force, such as umbrellas, food trucks, and the hustle and bustle of the betting ring.
Full COVIDSafe protocols will apply, with patrons needing to check in on arrival.
In keeping with the uniqueness of Moe, the racing club is in the centre of town, unlike the majority of other country racing clubs which operate on the outskirts.
Gates open at noon.
