Murrumbidgee Turf Club win Country TAB Race Club of the Year

The MTC was announced as the Country TAB Race Club of the Year at the annual Racing NSW country conference last Friday.

The club has been long regarded as the best race club in country NSW and the award win further enhances that status.

It was the MTC's first award win under chief executive Jason Ferrario and he was pleased to see the club recognised for their efforts over the 2022-23 racing season.

"It's great reward for what we've achieved in the last 12 months," Ferrario said.

"We pulled off what some people are saying is the best Gold Cup ever and to be able to celebrate it the way we did, being 150 years of Wagga Gold Cup, just made it all the more rewarding.

"Primarily I want to highlight the fact that I often use the saying teamwork makes the dream work and we made the dream work in the last 12 months purely because of the teamwork involved."

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Ferrario said there were a number of people who contributed to the club's success.

"The staff in the office to the track staff to the bar staff and then you even have to go much deeper," he said.

"You have to give a mention to the stewards who help us run the race days, Rotary Club who help us man the gates and get people in, our security guards who keep everyone safe and then not to forget the fact that without the participants and that's trainers, jockeys, owners, strappers, all of those are a big part of what makes our race days the success that they are.

"Then because we're not only a race club, we're a function venue, so to all the people that book functions here at the MTC, they've played a big part in our success as well."

The recognition comes right in the middle of MTC's busy spring program. The club has held successful Aggies and picnic race meetings, with the inaugural Players and Ponies charity race day to come on Saturday week.

Ferrario hopes the award can provide a further boost to what is an exciting period for the club.

"From a racing point of view, we've got some really big days coming up," he said.

"We're excited about the Players and Ponies concept. We're very lucky to have been given a later start time on Friday November 3 for Tradies Day. We believe Tradies Day is going to be our best ever. Even at this early stage, we've got a huge amount of interest in hospitality packages for our Christmas Party day on Saturday, December 2.

"So from a racing point of view, you then throw in that Ted Ryder Cup falls on a Friday, with Saturday and Sunday to recover before Christmas. Even moving into January, we race on January 5, which is a Friday, and then you look ahead to Australia Day and it also falls on a Friday. Australia Day we always get a decent crowd but the fact it's on a Friday, people won't have to go to work the next day so I imagine we can really focus on that being a big day as well."

Narrandera Race Club was also recognised at the conference with the Special Recognition Award for their efforts over the past 12 months.

The Narrandera club held 13 race meetings during that period, seven of which were transferred with short notice.

Narrandera Racing Club racing manager Michael Bailey was thrilled to receive the award.

"We are very pleased to receive the recognition from the industry," Bailey said.

Hay Jockey Club was named runner up in their Race Club of the Year category.

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