Sport
26 October, 2023
Redwood Carnival makes grand return, with big weekend bonanza expected
The Redwood Classic Carnival makes its way back into the hearts and minds of Maryborough punters, as well as punters from across the state, with plenty of exhilarating racing from Australia’s top trotters on offer across the next three days. With...
The Redwood Classic Carnival makes its way back into the hearts and minds of Maryborough punters, as well as punters from across the state, with plenty of exhilarating racing from Australia’s top trotters on offer across the next three days.
With the heats completed last Sunday to determine the final field for the Haras Des Trotteurs Victoria Trotters Derby final for the upcoming showpiece event, the focus for the Maryborough Harness Racing Club is delivering a successful carnival — with glorious weather conditions forecast for Sunday helping.
This afternoon will see the Trotters Handicap run, sponsored by The Maryborough District Advertiser, with New Zealand trotter Kyvalley Hotspur a hot favourite to take out the race, to be held at 3.18 pm.
The pick of Sunday’s 11-race card will be race six’s Redwood Classic, as well as race eight’s Trotters Derby Final, with a big prize pool for both races.
The Locomotive, driven by last year’s winning driver, Nathan Jack, looks set to be a hot favourite for the Trotters Derby Final, having convincingly won its heat on Sunday, as well as its past five races.
Another defending champion, Greg Sugars, is expected to be on the pace driving New Zealand trotter High Step, which has been victorious in three of its last four starts coming off a spell.
Maryborough Harness Racing Club general manager Jackson Barby expressed his excitement for the event.
“The Redwood is always a time of the year where everybody comes to Maryborough and highlights the town as a place to be, which is always an exciting thing, and we’re also proud of that,” he said.
“People come in from across the state and around the country, and talk to anyone in harness racing, and many say Redwood is a favourite.
“We’re excited about the Redwood weekend kicking off today (Friday), and that it is a three-day weekend again. We’re hoping people who do come to Maryborough for Redwood stay for all three days and spend a bit of time in town.”
It’s a weekend which sees Australia’s best trotters, trainers and drivers come through to Maryborough, with punters responding, according to Barby.
“We don’t just have the top horses and trainers, we also have the top drivers too. It’s a good opportunity to see top-quality racing in regional Victoria. To have that in our own backyard is always a pretty special thing, and we’re proud to put it on,” he said.
“We have had a lot of enquiries coming through. Our dining room has minimal bookings remaining. All signs are pointing to a busy day. The nominations for the races are going to help too. We have some excellent nominations, with Australia’s top trotting horses coming here.”
That includes the annual dinner dance held on Saturday night, while Barby also discussed the entertainment options on the day, including the return of Fashions on the Field.
“The big dinner dance will happen again on the Saturday night, and ticket sales are flying for that at the moment. That will most likely be a sell-out. It’s headlined by Paul Costa, who is a multi-award winning artist, and we’re excited to have him, and he’s also excited to be coming as well,” he said.
“On the day, we’ll have the kids entertainment, pony trots will be on site, live music from Old Melbourne Road, who were very popular last year — a lot of people loved them.
“We also have our Fashions on the Field returning this year. We haven’t had that for a few years, so we’re excited to have that back up and running. It will make it a more colourful day and it looks like the weather will turn it on for us.”
Barby revealed that while it’s his first Redwood as a general manager, there were plenty of exciting updates to come to the Maryborough Harness Racing Club following the event.
“It’s an exciting time, it’s been a bit nervewracking having my first Redwood not knowing what to expect. This year is also a good opportunity for me to see how it all runs and what it is all about,” he said.
“We are fortunate to have received a grant from the Central Goldfields Shire Council to do a three-year plan for Redwood, so we’ll sit down with our major sponsors and key stakeholders from the club and work out how we can grow it into a bigger and better event into the future, which is the plan to move forward.
“We want people to have a good experience.”
Gates to the Maryborough Harness Racing Club, located at 337 Bucknall Street, Carisbrook, open at 12 pm for today’s racing, while gates open on Sunday at 11.30 am. Entry is $15 per person.