Christmas Party Race Day set at Geelong

THE festive season will hit full stride on Friday, December 12 as the Geelong Racing Club (GRC) prepares for the Christmas Party Race Day.

Local businesses will enjoy end of year celebrations and can also enjoy top-tier racing, with Moonee Valley hosting their meet at the club whilst their track is redeveloped.

“It’s an opportunity for businesses to come and have a year-end celebration at the race club,” GRC chief executive officer Luke Rayner said.

“We’ll have approximately 500 people in the marquee area, which will be fantastic and that’ll be entertained all day by DJs, with the well-renowned John Course delivering the after party from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

“Other people on the course can come down and have a bit of a listen to John later on in the day.

“It’s an important day for us on the calendar and hopefully it can send us all off in a bit of a happy space and a great experience for the patrons that come out.”

Bay Leaf Kitchen will be the day’s charity partner. The non-for-profit organisation which provides meals for disadvantaged families in Geelong, and the racing club will donate $10 from every ticket purchased.

Moonee Valley will host their third of four planned meets at Geelong, which increases the prizemoney for each race and will bring strong trainers, horses and jockeys to the track.

Rayner said the agreement had benefits for both clubs.

“It provides us with four race meetings, so let’s say 32 races, where there’s an improved prize money level.

“It gives all trainers, but in particular south-west trainers, some advantage in regard to being able to access that prize money by bringing horses to those Geelong races on Moonee Valley-allocated days.

“There’s some great synergy there… Moonee Valley have been a fantastic club so far to deal with.”

From the GRC’s point of view, he said, it enhanced the club’s engagement with a metropolitan club in shutdown mode.

“It also brings some new people into our facility that potentially may have never been or wouldn’t look to come down.

“So it’s probably just improves our exposure across the board.”

Gates will open at 12 noon.

Tickets and packages are available via the Geelong Racing Club website.