Back on track for 22/23

New look harness racing season set to launch

The Mount Gamier Harness Racing Club 2022/23 season kicks off this Sunday in a season officials can’t wait to launch.

After a couple of seasons sharing the spotlight with Port Pirie, the Greenwald Paceway meetings will be stand alone this season and president Simons Phillips was hopeful that among other advantages, canning the joint meetings would help with crowd numbers.

“Our patrons will be watching a full card of racing and that will be great,” he said.

Meetings predominantly fall on Sundays as twilight fixtures with a smattering is Tuesday nights, which were introduced during recent seasons.

“We hope people will see it as a great way to end the weekend,” Phillips said.

The change to Sunday twilight meetings also means the Mount Gambier meetings will return to Sky 1 which will see a crucial lift in betting turnover, with that kind of financial injection critical for the sport.

Hopes are also high more Victorian horses will join the Mount Gambier meetings, with changes to penalties making it a more attractive proposition.

“They have taken away the points for SA races that used to apply when the horses went back to race in Victoria,” Phillips said. Victoria will also play another key role with a handful of drivers already showing keen interest in driving at Greenwald Paceway on a regular basis.

“We have had ore interest from young Victorian drivers to come over and that will be great to create a bit of rivalry,” Phillips said. “And we are light on for drivers based locally so it will really help to have those drivers lending a hand.”

The club’s showpiece event, the Pacing Gold Cup is set down for March 4 and plans are already underway for a huge Saturday night.

The final calendar is not set but there will be a minimum of 12 meetings and hopefully as many as 16, running right through to May. The season launches this Sunday with gates opening at 5pm and racing from 5.40pm. There is full bar, catering and betting facilities on site.