Former trainers, jockeys, owners, bookmakers and racegoers involved with racing at Leeton are invited to help mark the 80th anniversary of the Leeton Jockey Club on Saturday week.
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The celebrations will take place at the 2024 Leeton Cup on April 20 with an anniversary cake to be cut by one of the nation's oldest full-time trainers and long-time club stalwart Peter Clancy.
Nominations from throughout NSW, ACT and Victoria are expected for the six-race program featuring $74,000 in prizemoney.
Racegoers will also compete for the Fashions on the Field with a host of prizes for best dressed girl and boy, most fashionable lady, best dressed gent, milliner of the day, most stylish couple, best dressed family and local lady of the day.
Gates will open at 11.30am with admission $15 for adults and racegoers will be able to enjoy live music on the lawn and free children's entertainment.
Leeton Jockey Cub president Grant Fitzsimon said trainers, jockeys, owners, sponsors and committee members who either raced, volunteered or contributed to the club during its history were invited to attend the meeting.
Fitzsimon said a special souvenir program of the club's history would be printed as an adjunct to the race guide.
"The club has a very proud history and benefited from strong support from the Leeton community across eight decades, from volunteers watering and mowing the track and maintaining the grounds through to the trainers, jockeys and owners who travel great distances to compete at our meetings, and are in high praise of the standard of the facilities," Fitzsimon said.
"The club and racing in general have weathered many challenges over the years but Leeton has emerged in a strong position and boasts one of the best maintained tracks in the western Riverina.
"We would love to see as many familiar faces as from our past meetings to attend the CopRice Leeton Cup and help us mark this milestone."
The Leeton Jockey Club was founded on April 6, 1944, with a series of well attended working bees to improve the reserve such as grading and fencing the track, grassing, tree planting, horse stalls and ditching.
The landing of aircraft on the racecourse reserve was discouraged in 1945 in time for the first registered race meeting on June 15, 1946, in partnership with the Leeton Trotting Club.
It was attended by 1500 racegoers and 22 bookmakers enjoying a program of five races, contested by 30 horses, and two trots. Wagga horse, Stage Law, won the principal race, the Leeton Handicap.
