Even without horses on the track, the Narrabri Jockey Club proved that the show can still go on, hosting a Phantom Race Day on Saturday, March 22 that drew a strong crowd of over a thousand.
After a significant downpour the afternoon before the event, the club sprang into action.
Volunteers took to the track with shovels to try and drain as much water as possible before bringing in two graders and a tractor to work the surface from around 6pm through to 3am.
Despite the mammoth effort, race officials inspected the track early Saturday morning and determined the course was not in a safe condition to race.
The official meet was postponed, with a new date to be confirmed by Racing NSW.
While the news was disappointing, the Club was determined not to let the day go to waste.
With everything else ready to go from food and drink to fashion and entertainment, they announced a phantom meet, offering free entry and encouraging the community to still come out and support the Club.
NJC president Will Childs said the decision to push on highlighted the resilience of the club and the strength of community spirit.
“It was a blow to lose the racing, but the effort our volunteers put in overnight trying to get the track dry and up to standard was incredible. We had everything else ready to go – so we thought, why not still enjoy a day at the track?”
“We had planned a special presentation to Paul Redding for his dedication to the Narrabri Jockey Club, and it was great to still be able to present him with his life membership.”
Paul Redding is presented with life membership of Narrabri Jockey Club by president Will Childs at Saturday’s phantom race day.
Mr Redding was awarded life membership to the club for his decades of service in a presentation made in front of the crowd by current president, Mr Childs.
The day featured live racing from around the country on the big screen, including the iconic Golden Slipper, along with on-course bookmakers, bars, snacks, live local music and the ever-popular Fashions on the Field, which was held across six categories.
“It really showed that Narrabri doesn’t give up easy. The support from our sponsors, volunteers, and the community was amazing – people still came dressed to the nines and had a great day out,” said Mr Childs.
“The club would like to thank our sponsors and the community for their support. It truly meant a lot to the club and our dedicated volunteers who put in countless hours in the lead-up to our annual race day.”
Narrabri Jockey Club now awaits confirmation from Racing NSW for a rescheduled meet, but in the meantime, the Phantom Races served as a strong reminder that Narrabri’s racing tradition is about more than just what happens on the track.
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