The “Governess of Gundagai”, Barb Joseph, won’t have any runners, leaving the door slightly ajar for Ben Brisbourne, Donna Scott, or Craig Weeding to make a last-minute lunge for the premiership.
The wind is already whispering through the gum trees around the Gundagai racecourse, carrying with it the quiet anticipation of something special. It’s almost here – Saturday, June 28th, 2025, the day the inaugural Bush Battlers Race Day finally arrives. This isn’t just another race meeting; it’s a celebration of the resilient spirit of the bush, a day designed to give everyday battlers a genuine shot at glory.
As Events Coordinator Jeff Hanson explains, “For us at the race club it is more of a way to showcase our June meeting. In previous years, it’s been just a regular TAB meeting, no real fanfare, so to speak.”
This year, they’re shaking things up. It’s still a six-race Sky Channel meeting but with a twist.
“It’s lower class racing, so we thought why not put on a sprint, a cup and a plate, to showcase the three big distances there – the 1000m, the 1400m, and 1700m,” Hanson adds.
This includes the feature Bush Battlers Cup (1400m), the Bush Battlers Sprint (1000m), and the Bush Battlers Plate (1700m), all Benchmark 50 handicaps.
While Wagga and Inverell have their own Battler’s Cups, Gundagai is going big with three dedicated races. The club is even adding an extra $500 in cash to the connections of each winner, thanks to Scott Sanbrook, who also organised the “sensational” trophies.
Beyond the track, the day is designed for everyone. “We’ve decided to put on some entertainment,” Hanson says, “So we’ve got funky hair and face painting, we’ve got ice cream and slushies, we’ve got kids games, all the family is catered for on the day.”
The Fashions on the Field promises to be a vibrant spectacle across five sections: Best Dressed Lady, Best Dressed Gentleman, Best Millinery, and Colt and Filly. There won’t be a typical stage; instead, a “surprise judge” will be “picking out the winners” from the crowd, awarding “fabulous cash prizes and some nice pins.”
The buzz is already building, Gundagai will be the only country meeting in New South Wales on the day, offering a unique opportunity for racegoers. The crucial element now is the weather. “We’ve got the rain Tuesday-Wednesday,” Hanson confirmed, but Track Manager Chris Tozer believes “if we don’t get rain after that it will be cherry ripe for Saturday.”
The track needs the rain, but too much too close to the meeting is always a concern. Nominations are looking strong, with 138 nominations across six races.
“We’ve got a bucks party race on, which is a bit of fun too. We’ve got a group of 24 coming in from Sydney,” Hanson shared, which “just adds to the day”.
With 30 nominations for the Benchmark 50 1400-metre event and 28 for the 1100-metre Maiden Plate, there’s a chance they might even end up with seven races if 24 acceptances are received in a single event, prompting Racing NSW and the stewards to split it.
“We have planned for it,” Hanson confirmed, “we’ve got an extra trophy, just in case one of the feature races gets split.”
The day kicks off with gates opening at 11:00 AM, with entry priced at $15 for adults, $10 for pensioners, and free for kids under 18. While winter meetings typically don’t draw the biggest crowds, the club is “trying something different here, it’s a bit of a throw at the stumps and hopefully, we can knock the bails off and have a good day.”
They expect a good turnout of owners, and the day will also see the premierships decided. Barb Joseph is currently leading the trainer’s premiership, while the jockey’s premiership is “really close,” with Cowra jockey Matty Cahill, the current leader, set to ride a “big book of rides.”
The winners of these premierships will be announced when racing resumes in September.
This inaugural Bush Battlers Race Day is set to be a fantastic event, showcasing community spirit and thrilling racing. Will you be there to witness it?
– Tully Potts
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