Mile is Golden for big race day

BENDIGO Jockey Club is expecting a huge return to form at its annual Golden Mile Race Day on Saturday 27, March.

The autumn meeting is the club’s top prize event and a crowd capacity of 5000 patrons means it will be the biggest crowd at the track since 2019.

Commercial manager at the Bendigo Jockey Club Sue Opie said the stage is almost set for a big day of racing.

“There are no metro races on the day, so no races at Caulfield, Flemington, Moonee Valley or Sandown,” she said.

“Basically, all the horses that would normally be racing in the city come out to the country.

“We get top quality horses racing, a much higher calibre than what we’ve normally get on the racetrack.

“Also, we attract a lot of the racing community to come to Bendigo and have a look at the racing and check out our course.”

Last year’s race was staged without a crowd, while a capacity limit of 500 people was set for the club’s December meeting.

“We’ve got 700 members who are very proud to be members and love coming back to the course, so this is pretty exciting because this is a much bigger capacity,” Ms Opie said.

Trackside umbrellas, backmarker umbrellas and marquees are being sold for the event which will also feature live entertainment from the Piano Bar.

Ms Opie said the day has attracted wide-spread attention.

“We’ve got people coming from South Australia and Sydney so it’s getting to be an Australiawide event.

“People will really enjoy about coming here because it’s great to come and watch top class city racing in a laid-back country atmosphere.”

The club said it hopes visitors to its Golden Mile Race Day will get a chance to explore Bendigo and support the local tourism business that has struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Limited tickets are available for the event and can be found online or by calling the Bendigo Jockey Club.