Media Releases Archive
PERIDUKI GOES BACK TO BACK
STAR sprinter Periduki emulatedthe feat of Bellile some nine years ago when winning his second successivechampion racehorse title at the 2007/08 Centreracing Horse of the Year awardsat Pioneer Park on Saturday night.
Lisa Lefoe’s son of Perugino wasalso crowned the top three-year-old and sprinter on the AliceSprings racing industry’s night of nights. The last horse to takeout three awards during the one year was Shrewd Ace back in the 2004/05 season.
Owned by a ten-strong syndicatefrom the Northern Territory,South Australiaand Victoria,Periduki, a $6,000 purchase out of the 2006 Red Centre Yearling Sale, had aseason to remember. He blitzed a strong field in the Lasseters Hotel CasinoPioneer Sprint during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival, won a lead-up to the sameevent and scored in open company at Morphettville.
He also finished a game second inthe WFA sprint feature in Darwin, before filling the same placing behind JadeCity in the Palmerston Sprint, the latter event, however, not counting towardsthe 2007/08 season as it was run on August 2, just two days after thecompletion of the season in question.
Bellile was the last horse to winback-to-back Horse of the Year titles, the Peter Moody-trained gelding winningthe 1997/98 and 1998/99 awards.
Syndicate head Greg Stewart and his wife Anne were on hand tocollect the trophy, as well as the Nine Imparja Three-year-old of the Yeartitle and the Smimac Food Distributors Sprinter of the Year crown. In the three-year-oldcategory, Periduki headed off Akka Dancer, Happy Squared, Rafaldnbort and SolidFaith, while those who chased him home in the sprinter award were Kappa,Seymour Loups, Sweeping Move and The Soldier.
Periduki is currently enjoying awell-deserved spell before a possible campaign in South Australia during the summer months. Hehas now won nine of his 15 starts, and with two second placings as well, hasstake earnings of $165,230.
Hightou, another graduate of theRed Centre Yearling Sale (2007), was a clear-cut winner of the William Inglisand Son Two-year-old of the Year title.
Trained by Nev Connor and ownedby the Connor family and Greg Lambley, Hightou won four of his five starts as atwo-year-old and was a star performer during the recent Darwin Cup Carnival,winning on three occasions.. He took the award ahead of Piclesia, PioneerPrince and Sovereign Charm.
Port Pegasus, trained by Alice Springs icon Sheila Arnold, carried off the Hourglass Jewellers Middle-Distance Horse of theYear crown.
He won six races during theseason, three each in Darwinand Alice Springs, and although his formtapered off somewhat later in the season, he did enough to beat Kappa, RegalFarce, Swepscay and The Tailer to the title.
Kevin Lamprecht, with 30 wins,was the XXXX Gold Leading Trainer of the Year, while Craig Moon, for the secondsuccessive year, took out the XXXX Gold Leading Jockey award. Moon rode 27winners, and just held out the XXXX Gold Leading Apprentice, Scott Sheargold,who kicked home the winners of 25 races.
Bob Savage, a long-timeTerritorian and father of well-known trainer Will Savage, was inducted onto theAlice Springs Turf Club’s Wall of Fame.
31 August 2008
For further information please contact:
Mr Andrew O'Toole
Chief Executive
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
PERIDUKI TAKES TOP HONOUR
STAR two-year-old Periduki, as hehas done during his unbeaten six-race juvenile career, showed his rivals aclean pair of heels to be crowned the 2006/2007 Centreracing Horse of the Yearat the Awards Dinner at Pioneer Park on Saturday night.
The son of Perugino also streetedhis three rivals – Across The States, Imsoroyal and Royal Bond – to take outthe William Inglis and Son Two-Year-old of the Year title, courtesy of hisdeeds at both Pioneer Park and Morphettville.
Owned by a ten-strong syndicatefrom the Northern Territory, SouthAustralia and Victoria,Periduki was purchased from the 2006 Red Centre Yearling Sale by syndicate headGreg Stewart for just $6,000. His stake and bonus earnings from his six scintillatingvictories stand at just short of $80,000, and he is due to resume as athree-year-old over 1100m at Morphettville on September 22.
Trained throughout his brilliantcareer to date by Lisa Lefoe, whose jockey-husband Garry has been aboard in allbut one of the six victories, Periduki was a popular winner of both awards, andbecame the first two-year-old winner of the Horse of the Year for well over tenyears.
Not to be outdone, Ken Rogerson’sfine sprinter The Soldier also took out two awards – the Territory HirexThree-Year-Old of the Year, and the Smimac Foodservice Distributors Sprinter ofthe Year.
The Soldier, owned by Rogerson’spartner Carrol Hunter and Bob Kendray, raced six times during the season forfive wins, two in Alice and three in Darwin. He also won on Darwin Cup Day this year, but that win was not taken into account as the newracing season had already begun.
The Soldier was winning Horse ofthe Year categories for the second straight year – he had been the leadingtwo-year-old in 2005/2006.
In the three-year-old category, hegained sufficient votes to narrowly head off Marco Lago, Accurate Gun, TheEscapee and Memufasa, while Regal Farce, Coniston Way, Sherminator and SweepingMove were the beaten brigade in the sprinters’ section.
However, Regal Farce gained ameasure of compensation when crowned the White Gum Motel Middle Distance Horseof the Year, heading off Swepscay, Green Machine, Not Abandoned and VeryStrange.
The Viv Oldfield-trained chestnuthad just four runs during the season, but his three wins and a second wereenough to give him the win. Among his victories was a track record effort over1600m on Alice Springs Cup Day, while he also won over 1400m on the opening dayof the Carnival. In between times, he finished a gallant runner-up to Le Niskain the Pioneer Sprint.
Kim Gladwin (32 wins) carried offthe XXXX Gold leading jockey award, which was made all the more notable by thefact that he only rode in Alice Springs for less than half the season. Theaward was accepted on Gladwin’s behalf by fellow jockey Garry Lefoe.
Matthew Hart, for the thirdsuccessive year, was Alice Springs’ leadingapprentice with 16 wins up to December, at which time he completed hisapprenticeship. He forged an excellent partnership with the Jami Huish stableduring this time.
Viv Oldfield was the leadingtrainer, with 25 wins, and carried off Alice’sfeature event, the XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup with Catechism.
The Arnold family – Keith, Sheila, Doug, Tom andSteven – were inducted onto the Alice Springs Turf Club’s Wall of Fame.Unfortunately, none of the family, who have had a long association with the RedCentre, could be in attendance and the award was accepted on their behalf byTurf Club Patron Terry Lillis and his wife Alison.
8 September 2007
For further information please contact:
Mr Andrew O'Toole
Chief Executive
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
STAKE INCREASES FOR PIONEER PARK
THE Alice Springs Turf Club has movedswiftly to increase stakes for a number of races in the coming months as aresult of the abandonment of the January 27 racemeeting at Pioneer Park.
It was always intended that the stakemoneyfrom this abandoned meeting would not be lost to racing in the Territory, andthe ASTC Committee has wasted little time in formulating a plan of stakeincreases for selected races totalling just short of $30,000.
The increases will apply to the OpenHandicap on April 7, each of the six races on April 14 (a week prior to theXXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup Carnival) and, following the Carnival, one race ateach meeting on May 19, June 2, June 16 and June 30.
The increases will be spreadacross the different classes, so that all horses will have an opportunity torace for additional prizemoney.
The Open 1200m event on April 14will be the NT TAB ROANT Cup, and has been backed by the NT TAB and ROANT tothe tune of $3,000.
It is hoped that these increaseswill tempt trainers from Darwin to travel to Alice earlier than theymaybe would have for the Carnival, and the post-Carnival increases it is envisagedwill entice local trainers to keep horses that raced at the Carnival in workfor a few weeks extra.
“These increases are a positivemove for racing in the NorthernTerritory,” said Turf Club Chief Executive, AndrewO’Toole.
“We hope that this redistributionof funds that were budgeted for and not paid out due to the January 27abandonment will increase field sizes and consequently betting on the meetingsin question,” he added.
The following races/increases willnow apply:
RACE DATE | CLASS | DISTANCE | NEW STAKE | INCREASE |
07 April 2007 | Open | 1400M | $10,000 | $3,000 |
14 April 2007 | Open | 1200M | $10,000 | $3,000 |
| Class 5 | 1100M | $8,000 | $1,500 |
| Class 3 | 1400M | $8,000 | $1,500 |
| Class 1 | 1000M | $10,000 | $3,500 |
| Class B | 1400M | $7,500 | $1,500 |
| Maiden | 1000M | $7,500 | $1,500 |
19 May 2007 | Class3 | 1200M | $10,000 | $3,500 |
02 June 2007 | Class5 | 1200M | $10,000 | $3,500 |
16 June 2007 | Class1 | 1200M | $10,000 | $3,500 |
30 June 2007 | Open | 1400M | $10,000 | $3,000 |
14 February 2007
For further information please contact:
Mr Andrew O'Toole
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
GETTING LUCKY DOES JUST THAT
GETTING LUCKY, one of the best short-courseperformers in the Northern Territory,gained further kudos at the CentreRacing Horse of the Year Dinner on Saturdaynight when carrying off two awards, including the coveted Horse of the Yeartitle.
The chestnut daughter of Danzig Connection, trainedby Nigel Moody at PioneerPark for a syndicate ofowners, had a stellar 2005/2006 season. Her 11 starts yielded no less thaneight wins, a second and a third, her only unplaced performance being aclose-up sixth in the Gillen Club Pioneer Sprint during the 2006 XXXX GoldAlice Springs Cup Carnival. Herdurability was unquestionable, as she showed when competing on each of the fourdays of the Alice Cup Carnival within 17 days, winning twice and being placedthird and sixth. She subsequently showedher class at the Darwin Cup Carnival, winning at weight-for-age over 1200m intrack record time before lumping 61.5kg to success in an 1100m handicap.
Getting Lucky, not surprisingly, headed off Coniston Way, DrCongo, IlDuca and Mookta Gold to take out the Smimac Food Distributors Sprinter of theYear award, and was the logical choice for CentreRacing Horse of the Yearhonours. She is at present enjoying a well-deserved spell, but the six-year-oldseems certain to be back for another campaign before too long.
Zylvester, who was a tremendous winner of the XXXXGold Alice Springs Cup, was a popular winner of the White Gum MotelMiddle-Distance Horse of the Year award. Trained by master horsewoman Sheila Arnold, the son of Zabeel won twiceand was placed on four occasions during last season, and his scintillating Cupwin made him a clear favourite for the middle-distance award, in which hegained the major share of the votes from Greimota, Aka Bilk, Not Abandoned andFire Joe.
The Paper Shoppe Three-Year-Old award went the wayof Nev Connor’s Filante gelding Filamony, winner of three races during theseason including the Crowne Plaza NT Guineas on the first day of the AliceSprings Cup Carnival. All told, Filamony raced nine times during the 2005/2006term, and added to his wins were two seconds and a third, the latter in therich NT Derby in Darwin. Filamony is owned by the Connor family, andgained the nod for the three-year-old title from Go Or See, Jetcent, Razor Oneand The Tailer.
For the second successive year, the William Inglisand Son Two-Year-Old award went to a Ken Rogerson-trained juvenile, The Soldiertaking the title 12 months on from his stablemate The Tailer. Both horses,incidentally, are owned by Rogerson’s partner Carol Hunter and Darwin-based BobKendray. The Soldier, who won two of hisfour two-year-old starts, was clearly the top first-season galloper, and headedoff stablemates Fortune Striker and Dangerous Terrain, and Atomiser for theaward.
Craig Moon (36 wins) carried off the XXXX Goldleading jockey award, while Matthew Hart (10 wins), for the second successiveyear, was Alice Springs’ leading apprentice.Leanne Gillett, in her first season with a trainer’s licence, was easily theleading trainer, her 36 wins putting her well clear of her rivals.
The late trainer Vince Maloney, who passed awayduring the 2005/2006 season, was inducted onto the Alice Springs Turf Club Wallof Fame. He was an iconic figure in the Red Centre, and his induction was wellreceived by an enthusiastic crowd who attended the celebration of Alice Springs racing.
9 September 2006
For further information please contact:
Mr Andrew O'Toole
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
BAIN TAKES PIONEERPARK HELM
PAUL BAIN is the new Chairman of the Alice Springs TurfClub.
At the Club’s monthly Committee meeting on Wednesday, thefirst since last week’s AGM, Bain was installed in the top job, taking overfrom Kevin Hickmott, who remains on the Committee.
In an all-new executive Committee, Andrew Doyle takes overthe position of Vice-Chairman from Steve Byrnes, who did not seek re-election,and Matthew Plummer has the task of Treasurer, a role previously held by DavidLillecrapp, who also remains on the Committee.
Plummer, along with Tim Baker and Alan Rowe, arefirst-year Committee members, while Russell Johnston makes up the eight-manCommittee.
Bain was understandably delighted with his appointment asChairman.
“It is a great honour to be given the opportunity asChairman of the ASTC. I look forward to embracing the challenges and amextremely committed to the betterment of our industry, for all participants, inCentral Australia."
“I would like to thank Kevin Hickmott for his contributionas Chairman over the past four years, and look forward to his future input onthe Committee. I would also like to pay tribute to Steve Byrnes and DavidLillecrapp for their contribution to the Executive Committee in recent times.”
Bain is under no illusion as to the magnitude of the taskfacing him and the Turf Club Committee.
“The forthcoming period is of great importance to ourclub. We must introduce new initiatives and focus on the growth of racing in Central Australia, but with our fresh, new-lookCommittee, I am excited about our future prospects,” he said.
Bain, who is in his second stint on the Turf ClubCommittee, is actively involved in the thoroughbred industry in the Northern Territory. Heis the syndicate manager of a number of horses under the Getting LuckySyndicate banner, and has met with much recent success with the likes ofGetting Lucky, Aka Bilk, Boz, Encosta Express, Mrs Macwicked, Lunch Club andthe placegetters Table One and Istigirl.
31 August 2006
For further information please contact:
| Mr Andrew O'Toole Manager Alice Springs Turf Club Inc. Telephone: (08) 8952 4977 | Mr Paul Bain |
SIX-FIGURE STAKES BOOST FOR ALICE RACING
RACHORSEowners in Alice Springs will be the recipientsof stake increases for the upcoming 2006/2007 season to the tune of over$100,000.
AliceSprings Turf Club Manager, Andrew O’Toole, announced today that at the Club’smonthly Committee meeting on Wednesday it was decided to boost stakes from thestart of the new season in August.
Theincreases are also complemented by a rise in jockeys’ fees ($125 from $120) andthe unplaced runner subsidy ($265 from $240) agreed by Thoroughbred Racing NTfor the 2006/2007 season.
Stakemoneyfor Open and Special Conditions races will rise to $7,000 (up from $6,100 and$5,800 respectively), class one-six races will be run for stakes of $6,500 (upfrom the current $5,800), while maidens and class B events will boast stakes of$6,000, an increase of $700 from the current level.
Carnivalstakemoney, which this year totalled $420,000 over the four days in April-May,will remain unchanged.
Thesix-monthly programme for racing in the NorthernTerritory is due out shortly, and the ASTC Committeewas keen to make a positive decision regarding stakemoney so that the newlevels could be included in the Trackside publication. The new levels will be reviewed prior to the next six-monthlyprogramme being released around the end of the year.
Ontop of the increases across the board, the ASTC plans to add additionalstakemoney to selected meetings/races. For instance, the Truckies Raceday onAugust 25, which was such a success last year, will have stakes for this year’smeeting of $10,000 for the open, $7,000 for the class 5, 3 and 1 events, and$6,500 for the class B 1200m.
Similarly,on January 1, 2007, the class 5 1200m will be run for a stake of $10,000, anadditional increase of $3,500 on the new levels.
“TheCommittee was keen to increase stakemoney, and even though the rise is not asmuch as we had hoped, it is a start,” said O’Toole. “We are getting left behindin the NT compared to Darwin, and had to make apositive move to benefit all stakeholders in Alice Springs,”he said.
“Withthe stakes boost and the increase to the unplaced runner subsidy, it is hopedthat the confidence of industry participants here in Alice will also increase. We will monitor thesituation over the next few months, but we have to be realistic – we cannot upthe stakes to a level we cannot afford,” said O’Toole.
2 June 2006
For further information please contact:
Mr Andrew O'Toole
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
XXXX GOLD ALICE SPRINGS CUP CARNIVAL EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS
The 2006 XXXX Gold Alice SpringsCup Carnival, held at the picturesque Pioneer Park Racecourse over four daysduring April and May, concluded with the flagship racemeeting for the AliceSprings Turf Club on May 1 – Cup Day.
The crowd of in excess of 1,800was treated to a fabulous day’s racing, culminating in the stunning trackrecord performance of locally-trained Zylvester in the $75,000 feature eventover 2000m.
The son of champion New Zealandstallion Zabeel, trained by six-time Alice Cup-winning trainer Sheila Arnold,and ridden by visiting South Australian jockey Dominic Tourneur, Zylvesterabsolutely blitzed his rivals, winning by eight and a-half lengths in a time of2:00.14, which eclipsed the record which had stood since 1997.
It was a performance whichmirrored a superb day’s racing filled with colour, fashions, entertainment forall the family and eight action-packed events on the track.
Lion Nathan NT, the Alice SpringsTurf Club’s major supporter and the naming rights sponsor of the XXXX GoldAlice Springs Cup Carnival, invited well in excess of 300 guests to thePavilion, a well-appointed open-sided building which played host to suchluminaries as Sheila Laxon (trainer of the mighty Melbourne Cup winner Etherealand the only woman to have prepared the winner of the great race) and leaguelegend Alan “Alfie” Langer, both of whom mixed and mingled with the large crowdthat flocked to Pioneer Park for the day.
Racing enthusiasts came from farand wide to be in attendance – from all states of Australia,and even a group from New Zealandmade the trek to Alice Springs.
The Alice Springs Turf Clubmanager, Andrew O’Toole, was experiencing his first Alice Springs Cup Carnival,and was delighted with every facet of the 17-day long festival of racing.
“I was apprehensive, notsurprisingly, leading up to the first day of the Carnival, but when thatmeeting (Young Guns Day) went so well, I relaxed a little and looked forwardwith optimism to the other days,” said O’Toole.
“The second day, Ladies’ Day,attracted a crowd of over 600, including some 200 ladies who were wined anddined in style in the Pavilion, while the third day, Family Fun Day, wasover-run with the younger racegoers and their parents – there was another crowdclose on 600 to enjoy the day.
“Cup Day was absolutelysensational from all points of view – we had the numbers, the betting turnoveron-course was up on recent years, the bars did a roaring trade, the field sizeswere excellent and the weather fantastic. And the racing, which was shown liveon TVN, really had the place buzzing,” he said.
The Pioneer Parkgrounds were decked out in a sea of gold, black and red (Lion Nathan’s colours)and obviously a lot of work had gone into preparing the course for the big day.
XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup Day isone of country racing’s most eagerly-anticipated meetings, and judged on thesuccess of this year’s Carnival, the Alice Springs Turf Club’s “jewel in thecrown” can only continue to grow in the future.
2 May 2006
For further information please contact:
Mr Andrew O'Toole
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
SHREWD ACE CREATES HISTORY WITH HAT-TRICK OF AWARDS
THE 2005 CentreRacing Horse of the Year Dinner and Presentation Night, held at Pioneer Park Racecourse, Alice Springs, on Saturday night, proved a night to remember for the connections of the Viv Oldfield-trained Shrewd Ace.
The son of Gold Ace carried all before him, winning three of the five awards on offer and being crowned Horse of the Year for the recently-completed 2004/2005 racing season.
Shrewd Ace won four races in succession during his three-year-old season, including the NT Guineas and the XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup. The Cup was the "jewel in the crown" for Shrewd Ace, who also finished a close-up third in the NT Derby and a meritorious sixth in the Darwin Cup.
As well as being honoured as Horse of the Year, Shrewd Ace carried off the William Inglis and Son three-year-old award, and he was also named as the best middle-distance performer. His record to date reads 17 starts for five wins and five minor placings, and he has stake earnings of just short of $120,000.
The last three-year-old to also be named Horse of the Year was Grey Desert in the 2001/2002 season. Grey Desert, a son of Lacryma Cristi, won six races as a three-year-old including the NT Guineas, Darwin Guineas, Tennant Creek Cup and he was also placed second in the NT Derby.
Coincidentally, Grey Desert and Shrewd Ace are raced by syndicates headed by Stephen Smedley, who was until recently the Manager of the Alice Springs Turf Club. Stephen has been instrumental in the success of the Red Centre Yearling Sale, and purchased both Grey Desert and Shrewd Ace from the auction.
The two other categories awarded on Saturday night, the Europcar Sprinter and The Paper Shoppe two-year-old, were won by Coniston Way and The Tailer respectively.
Coniston Way, trained by Terry Gillett, had a season to remember, winning eight races, six at Pioneer Park and two at Darwin's Fannie Bay. He also finished a good fourth in the Palmerston Sprint at Darwin's Cup Carnival, and pushed Shrewd Ace close for overall Horse of the Year honours.
The Tailer, from the Ken Rogerson stable, took the two-year-old award clearly, due to his fine record of four wins (one on August 1 at Darwin) and two seconds from just six starts. His major first-season win came in the William Inglis and Son Red Centre Classic on Alice Springs Cup day.
The Alice Springs trainer of the year award was won by Terry Gillett, Ben Cornell took out the champion jockey title and Matthew Hart was awarded the apprentice jockey of the year award.
This year's Pioneer Park Wall of Fame inductee was Bernadette Joyner, who has had a long and varied association with the Alice Springs Turf Club. The first female bookmaker in Australia (and possibly the world), Bernadette has also held a trainer's licence, was a long-serving member of the Alice Springs Turf Club committee and has had a lifelong involvement with the racing industry in the Northern Territory.
10 September 2005
For further information please contact:
Mr Andrew O'Toole
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
TRUCKIES RACE DAY A RESOUNDING SUCCESS
FRIDAY twilight racing came to Alice Springs to kick-start the Road Transport Hall of Fame Truckies 10th Anniversary Reunion last Friday - and the fixture proved one of the most successful ever at Pioneer Park.
A crowd from far and wide, estimated at close on 1700, enjoyed top quality racing action on Friday afternoon, the six-race card producing some exciting finishes and throwing up an upset or two. A total of 53 horses competed for stakes of $48,500 at the meeting, including the total prize of $12,000 (plus trophies) for the inaugural Cummins Cup.
The Cup was won impressively by Chigwidden, trained locally by Terry Gillett and ridden by Craig Moon, who bagged a treble of wins on the day. His other two winners were prepared by Gillett's wife Leanne.
Almost $130,000 was wagered on the fixture on the Queensland and South Australian TABs, and the two bookmakers on course held in excess of $30,000 on the local meeting.
The crowd, made up of reunion delegates and supporters, and a large number of local racegoers, basked in the beautiful afternoon weather and obviously enjoyed themselves, the healthy bar returns clear evidence of that.
Following the meeting, a large number of racegoers remained on-course and were entertained for several hours by DJ Trevor Waples, who kept the crowd on their feet until well after dark with a mix of country and other popular music. Three service clubs added to the festivities, catering for the crowd with a variety of dishes.
The Cummins Group, who were major sponsors of the day, entertained some 600 people in the Pavilion, and were so delighted with the turnout and the day in general that they are keen to continue their association with the Turf Club, and at present a three-year sponsorship deal is being pieced together by the two parties.
Andrew O'Toole, Alice Springs Turf Club Manager, said: "The whole day was an unqualified success. The people turned out and showed that late afternoon meetings to coincide with major events in the town certainly have a place in Alice Springs.
"Cummins were wonderful sponsors and we are absolutely rapt that they are keen to be involved for the next three years. Although the reunion will probably not be as big next year, it is still a date that we can bank on being successful, and for a normally quiet month like August, that is great news for the Turf Club," he said.
30 August 2005
For further information please contact:
Mr Andrew O'Toole
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
NEW MANAGER APPOINTED
The Chairman of the Alice Springs Turf Club, Mr Kevin Hickmott wishes to advise that after a very competitive number of applicants applied for the position of Manager of the Alice Springs Turf Club he is pleased to announce that Mr Andrew O’Toole is to be appointed to the position.
Andrew has been involved in the horse racing industry for well over 20 years, having been a racing journalist in Hamilton, New Zealand, for six years before plying his trade in sports and racing newspapers in London for some five years in the early Nineties.
He was employed by the Auckland Racing Club, New Zealand's premier racing club, on his return to New Zealand in 1995, and filled the positions of Public Relations Officer and Assistant Racing Manager until appointed to the role of Assistant Chief Executive in 1999. He was also Racing Manager from 2000 until leaving the Auckland Racing Club late last year.
He has vast experience and knowledge of the racing industry, and has dealt significantly with a number of major racing jurisdictions in Australia during his time at the Auckland Racing Club.
Andrew is married to Jacqueline and they have two children Shannon & Michael.
We look forward to Andrew taking up his transitional appointment on 1 July 2005, before Stephen Smedley steps down on 22 July 2005.
A farewell for Stephen is currently proposed, to be held after the races – on 17 July 2005.
For further information please contact:
Mr Kevin Hickmott
Chairman
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8950 7000
8 June 2005
THEY'RE RACING AT IMPARJA TELEVISION…
The Alice Springs Turf Club announced this week that they have entered into a sponsorship arrangement with Imparja Television.
The sponsorship deal will be over a five-year period and both parties are delighted with the prospect of a growing relationship.
Imparja will be involved in all aspects of local racing, and as we know, they readily support local sport and promote it well. Alice Springs Turf Club Manager Stephen Smedley said, "It is good to have Imparja back on board and we look forward to a rewarding partnership. The fact that they have local broadcast and production facilities is an advantage to the club".
Imparja CEO Alistair Feehan comes from a family steeped in racing history and is also delighted with the partnership. Alistair said, "Imparja is thrilled to be associated with the Turf Club and looks forward to promoting the 'Sport of Kings' in Central Australia".
For further information please contact:
Stephen Smedley
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
Alistair Feehan
Chief Executive Officer
Imparja Television Pty Ltd
Telephone: (08) 8950 1411
25 October 2004
INCREASED PRIZE MONEY - ANNIVERSARY CUP
Due to a renewed sponsorship agreement with Sportingbet Australia the Alice Springs Turf Club has pleasure in announcing that the Open Handicap (1400 metres) programmed for Saturday 19 June will now carry total prize money of $8,000.
The Committee congratulate Sportingbet Australia for extending their sponsorship for this race which will be known as the "Sportingbet Australia 27th Anniversary Cup".
For further information please contact:
Stephen Smedley
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
Mobile: 0418 897 705
7 June 2004
CANCELLED RACE MEETING
The Race meeting scheduled for Saturday 22 May has been cancelled.
At acceptance time on Thursday the number of acceptors in each race did not constitute a race meeting as layed down by the Northern Territory Racing Agreement. The Committee of the Alice Springs Turf Club has re-programmed an extra race for next Saturday 29 May.
A Maiden over 1000 metres ($5,300) with a $3000 TROBIS bonus will be added to the existing program. This will give the Club five races.
For further information please contact:
Stephen Smedley
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
Mobile: 0418 897 705
20 May 2004
PRIZE MONEY INCREASE
The Committee of the Alice Springs Turf Club wish to announce that effective from Saturday 7 February 2004 there will be an increase in prize money at Pioneer Park.
Chairman Mr Kevin Hickmott said that the Club had decided the increase was warranted. Mr Hickmott stated that the Club had made a small surplus of funds in the first six months of this financial year, which will go towards the prize money increase. This is despite having to recently perform self-funded major maintenance on the surface of the track at Pioneer Park. The Committee also decided that the prize money which was not used at the postponed meeting on Australia Day would go towards the increase.
The Club has also introduced fourth prize money for all races and an unplaced subsidy of $100 to all horse that finish further back than fourth.
The new levels of prize money are as follows:
Maiden, Class B, 2-3 year olds from $5000 to $5300
Class 1-6 from $5500 to $5800
Open from $5500 to $6100
With this increase and the unplaced subsidy prize money will rise by about $42,000 up to the end of June 2004.
As the racing industry is facing many changes with the introduction of the Principal Club Sub Committee it is difficult to predict what levels of prize money will be offered after the end of June 2004.
For further information please contact:
Stephen Smedley
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
Mobile: 0418 897 705
29 January 2004
POSTPONEMENT OF RACE MEETING - 25 JANUARY 2004
The Alice Springs Turf Club has postponed its race meeting set down for Sunday 25 January 2004 due to the lack of nominations.
At the close of nominations on Monday only seventeen (17) horses were nominated and the Club extended nominations until Tuesday when only three (3) more were received. Due to the fact that one race only had three nominations and according to the Northern Territory Racing Agreement a race must have no less than five runners.
The main reason behind the poor nominations was that extensive work has been carried out on the racetrack surface at Pioneer Park and this overran the timeframe that was originally allowed.
Many trainers felt that their horses were not fit enough to nominate and this caused the shortage.
The postponement of the race meeting will be discussed at the next Committee Meeting of the Alice Springs Turf Club and the outcome advised in due course.
The next race meeting scheduled at Pioneer Park will be held on Saturday 7 February 2004.
For further information please contact:
Stephen Smedley
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977
Mobile: 0418 897 705
20 January 2004
ALICE SPRINGS TURF CLUB ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting of the Alice Springs Turf Club was conducted on Thursday 28 August 2003.
Chairman Mr Kevin Hickmott tabled his report to Members as did Club Treasurer Mr David Lillecrapp.
The Alice Springs Turf Club recorded a surplus of $87,000 before depreciation for the year ended 30 June 2003.
Five (5) Committee positions were declared vacant and as only four (4) nominations were received, the Chairman called for nominations from the floor to fill the fifth position.
Mr Kevin Hickmott, Mr Andrew Maloney, Mr Russell Johnston all stood for re-election, with newcomer Mr John Cimini. John has lived in Alice Springs for fifteen years and has previously raced horses in Alice Springs and was a shareholder in former Darwin Cup winner Bellile.
Two (2) nominations were forthcoming from the floor to fill the remaining position left by Gary Moseley's resignation and Alice Springs born Sondra Young was successful. Sondra comes from a well-known Alice Springs family in Bob and Vicki Darken who for years lived at Simpsons Gap. Ironically, Vicki's father was on the Committee of the old Central Australian Race Club back in the 1950's.
At a brief Committee meeting after the AGM, Mr Kevin Hickmott was re-elected as Chairman, with John McBride returned as Vice Chairman and David Lillecrapp accepting the position as Treasurer for the next twelve months.
For further information please contact:
Stephen Smedley
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Phone: (08) 8952 4977
Mobile: 0418 897 705
1 September 2003