General News
29 August, 2022
Racing into spring
A GREAT day of glamour, fun, fashion and racing is in store this Saturday as the spring racing season kicks off with the Mareeba Annuals.
![Prue Vaughan with her son William and Frances Petersen with Alex Maliff ’s race horse Paniagua who will be racing this year in the Mareeba Annuals.](https://mareebaexpress-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/assets/news/annuals-pic.jpg/49028f82bc9cf69a5bdb6a2219eba80b.jpg)
From humble beginnings in 1895, the Mareeba Turf Club will celebrate 127 years of racing when the annuals are staged this weekend before what organisers hope will be a bumper crowd.
With a five-race card, punters are in for a great day of top quality racing with The Mareeba Cup, sponsored by PIMS Mareeba, and the Mareeba Bracelet, sponsored by Graham Hotel, the two feature races on the program.
Other races to be hotly contested will be the Wayne Laverty Quality Sheds Class B Handicap, the Mareeba Mazda Maiden handicap, and the 2022 President’s Benchmark 45 Handicap.
Of course, any great race day features fabulous fashion and Saturday is gearing up to deliver, with great weather predicted and plenty of ladies and gents ready to strut their stuff on the catwalk.
Prizes will be awarded in a number of categories – Best Dressed Boy and Girl (0-5 years), Best Dressed Gent (6-12 Years), Best Dressed Young Lady (6-12), Best Dressed Male, Lady of the Day, Classic Lady Of the Day, Couple of the Day, and Millinery of the Day.
Club secretary Rhonda Stevens said Mareeba’s biggest race day of the year was fortunate to have the wonderful support of various businesses and community groups.
“All our committee members are volunteers, (most also work fulltime) who put endless hours of work into the club help make the race meetings the family events that they are,” she said.
“Special mention to Crimestoppers and PCYC who provide the staffing for the bar.”
Children are well catered for at the event, with plenty of activities to keep them entertained which allows their parents to have a great time socialising.
Live music on the day will be performed by local band “Careless” and extended trading hours will see patrons able to stay on after the last race to dance the evening away.
Marquee sites are available by emailing the secretary at mareebaturfclub@ bigpond.com.
Gates open at 11am. Tickets available at www.trybooking.com/CAIDU or at the gate. $15 adults (over 16), $10 for pensioners, while children under 16 and all members get free entry.