The Bega Cup Carnival culminated in celebrating a 20th birthday for the Sapphire Coast Turf Club.
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Club president Robyn Bain said it was a wonderful feeling to celebrate 20 years at the existing site for the club, which had become a community asset.
“It’s not just the Bega Club, or the Pambula Club,” Ms Bain said. “It’s a community club and we’re seeing people coming out in spades, they’ve had faith in us and stayed with the club,” she said.
Event guest Kevin Hetherington was enjoying his 70th Bega Cup on the day, but many of the large crowd were repeat visitors.
“It’s really the involvement of the community that has helped us grow, they’ve been involved since day dot,” Ms Brain said.
The two-day race meet also marked the fifth year that Racing NSW had backed the Turf Club two host for two days, while it was the second year running the Bega Cup had been a Showcase Day with immense prizes on offer.
“We still have to prove ourselves each year, but the Bega Cup brings people together,” she said.
$420,000 in prizes were on offer over the weekend, with the Luke Pepper-trained Appoint Percy taking out the $50,000 headline Bega Cheese Bega Cup.
Goulburn based trainer Danny Williams had a trio of wins on Sunday, while Melbourne based trainer Richard Lamings secured a pair of first place results.
Jockey Chad Lever rode all three of Williams’ winners, while also picking up a second place in Race eight.
Ms Bain said the development and growth of the club, including the construction of new stables, had bolstered existing good reputation around the club and the Bega Cup Carnival.
With almost 140 starting horses over the weekend, including 74 on Sunday alone, she said it was great to see interest from trainers stretching up and down the coast.
“Danny and Richard are great examples of the quality trainers being drawn to the Sapphire Coast,” Ms Bain said.
“Danny’s horses are in the stables and he’s had a hat-trick already today
“And Richard brought a heap of owners up the coast with him and we know they enjoyed a private function at the Wharf on Friday night.
“They [trainers] know we care about them enough to build the stables and provide the infrastructure so they can keep coming back.”
She also welcomed guest jockey Greg Hall, who had won the Melbourne Cup riding Sub Zero in 1992.
The former Cup winner was chatting with locals and visitors alike and offering a few tips for the wayward punters.
Ms Bain said the Bega Cup also had on-flow effects for the community with 10 per cent of the highly successful calcutta donated to the Sapphire Coast Sport and Art Fund.