Inverell to shine light on Sapphire City roots with new race day

Inverell will host a new-look Sapphire City race day on Saturday, February 13, Image: Bradley Photos.

The chance to showcase Inverell as the Sapphire City and coincide with the Inverell Sporties Jammin’ On The Green two-day event has inspired a new meeting at Inverell Jockey Club.

To be hosted on Saturday, February 13, the Sapphire City Race Day, headlined by the Sapphire City Cup, will replace the club’s long standing Boxing Day meeting and add to what is already a huge weekend in Inverell.

Inverell Jockey Club President Sean Baldwin admitted that some regular racegoers might be disappointed to see the Boxing Day meeting transferred to February but assured everyone it was the best decision for the future of the club.

“It’s interesting; we looked at some data Greg Kachel provided for the Boxing Day meeting from 2020 onwards, and the average number of starters at our Boxing Day race meetings has been 31, meaning an average field of only six runners,” Baldwin said.

"With numerous other clubs racing on the same day, there’s a lot of pressure on the industry to provide runners, and at some meetings we have hosted, all the riders were apprentices with no senior riders, as they were attending other meetings.

"It meant we were not attracting the highest quality of horse, and with the small fields, it’s been difficult to attract people to the racecourse.

"Most country clubs have realised we can’t have one income stream to remain strong and vibrant anymore. That income stream has previously been numerous people walking through the gates and having a bet, a drink, and something to eat.

“Those days are gone. The second income stream is the TAB meeting, where a club can benefit from a percentage of turnover, and with a TAB meeting in February and our season extended, it’s going to be a good move for Inverell Jockey Club.”

With the club now racing in July, October, November, January and February, the season is extended and means the facility will be available if other local meetings are washed out or abandoned.

“Greg Kachel said after our cup meeting, ‘Isn’t it sad that this wonderful facility goes into recess for seven to eight months after we race in January’, and considering we have a population of 13,000 and are the third biggest town in New England behind Tamworth and Armidale, we should be racing more often” Baldwin said.

“It’s a great facility. We have six to seven trainers, a stronger and growing community, and it was previously underutilised for seven to eight months, but now we race through to February, for seven months of the year.”

The February race day will be promoted as the Sapphire City Race Day, with the intention to offer a local sapphire to the winning connections of the feature race, further shining a light on the town’s rich fossicking history.

“Back in history, Inverell was the greatest producer of sapphires in the Southern Hemisphere, and Inverell sapphires are known as some of the highest quality sapphires in the world,” Baldwin said.

"It is a part of our history, and this meeting gives us a chance to reconnect that trademark of Inverell with a current event like our new race day.

“We are also on the Fossickers Way, so our thinking is, why not attract people to the local area using the sapphire to showcase not just Inverell, but other towns like Bingara, which are all in the fossicking area?”

Making it a massive weekend for racegoers is Jammin’ On The Green at Inverell Sporties, meaning racing fans and music lovers can enjoy a long weekend of tunes and thundering hooves.

“Inverell Sporties introduced Jammin’ On The Green two years ago to raise money for two local identities who were receiving treatment and needed help with costs,” Baldwin said.

"That really showcased the loyalty and generosity of the community, and everyone had such a good time. It has since grown into a fundraiser to help those in the community who might need assistance or support local causes.

“With our race day, it’s a chance to play a small part in that weekend, and if we can use a race day to attract people to Inverell, and more people to Jammin’ On The Green to support Sporties, that will be fantastic.”

While there is excitement around the Sapphire City meeting, attention now turns to the upcoming Holy Trinity Race Day on Saturday, October 17, before the time-honoured Diggers Cup on November 21 and the Inverell Cup on Friday, January 1.

“We are very fortunate that the first race day of the new season falls on Everest Day, which is now Australia’s richest race. It is also Kosciuszko Day, which is near and dear to Inverell people, as we have a local horse in Lisztomania racing, and a pub syndicate from the Tatts Hotel has drawn a horse,” Baldwin said.

"Add to that, it’s the Holy Trinity Race Day, and the school is an integral part of the race day. They are going through an exciting time, with their first group of Year 11s heading into Year 12 next year.

"Then we take a breath, have five weeks off, and go into the Diggers Cup meeting: one of only two Diggers Cup meetings still hosted by clubs. We combine that with the Inverell Picnic Race Club, who attract 500 people to their marquee area.

“After that, our biggest race day is January 1, and this year the Inverell Cup field was one of the best we have had in years. That race is attracting good attention and will only be bigger in 2027, leading nicely into our new February meeting.”

It’s certainly an exciting time for Inverell Jockey Club, and there are opportunities to sponsor races, including the new-look Sapphire City Cup.

To get in touch, readers can email Sean Baldwin at seanbaldwin67@gmail.com.