Media Releases

PERIDUKI GOES BACK TO BACK

STAR sprinter Periduki emulated the feat of Bellile some nine years ago when winning his second successive champion racehorse title at the 2007/08 Centreracing Horse of the Year awards at Pioneer Park on Saturday night.

Lisa Lefoe’s son of Perugino was also crowned the top three-year-old and sprinter on the Alice Springs racing industry’s night of nights. The last horse to take out three awards during the one year was Shrewd Ace back in the 2004/05 season.

Owned by a ten-strong syndicate from the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria, Periduki, a $6,000 purchase out of the 2006 Red Centre Yearling Sale, had a season to remember. He blitzed a strong field in the Lasseters Hotel Casino Pioneer Sprint during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival, won a lead-up to the same event and scored in open company at Morphettville.

He also finished a game second in the WFA sprint feature in Darwin, before filling the same placing behind Jade City in the Palmerston Sprint, the latter event, however, not counting towards the 2007/08 season as it was run on August 2, just two days after the completion of the season in question.

Bellile was the last horse to win back-to-back Horse of the Year titles, the Peter Moody-trained gelding winning the 1997/98 and 1998/99 awards.

Syndicate head Greg Stewart and his wife Anne were on hand to collect the trophy, as well as the Nine Imparja Three-year-old of the Year title and the Smimac Food Distributors Sprinter of the Year crown. In the three-year-old category, Periduki headed off Akka Dancer, Happy Squared, Rafaldnbort and Solid Faith, while those who chased him home in the sprinter award were Kappa, Seymour Loups, Sweeping Move and The Soldier.

Periduki is currently enjoying a well-deserved spell before a possible campaign in South Australia during the summer months. He has now won nine of his 15 starts, and with two second placings as well, has stake earnings of $165,230.

Hightou, another graduate of the Red Centre Yearling Sale (2007), was a clear-cut winner of the William Inglis and Son Two-year-old of the Year title.

Trained by Nev Connor and owned by the Connor family and Greg Lambley, Hightou won four of his five starts as a two-year-old and was a star performer during the recent Darwin Cup Carnival, winning on three occasions.. He took the award ahead of Piclesia, Pioneer Prince and Sovereign Charm.

Port Pegasus, trained by Alice Springs icon Sheila Arnold, carried off the Hourglass Jewellers Middle-Distance Horse of the Year crown.

He won six races during the season, three each in Darwin and Alice Springs, and although his form tapered off somewhat later in the season, he did enough to beat Kappa, Regal Farce, 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 second successive year, took out the XXXX Gold Leading Jockey award. Moon rode 27 winners, and just held out the XXXX Gold Leading Apprentice, Scott Sheargold, who kicked home the winners of 25 races.

Bob Savage, a long-time Territorian and father of well-known trainer Will Savage, was inducted onto the Alice 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

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PERIDUKI TAKES TOP HONOUR

STAR two-year-old Periduki, as he has done during his unbeaten six-race juvenile career, showed his rivals a clean pair of heels to be crowned the 2006/2007 Centreracing Horse of the Year at the Awards Dinner at Pioneer Park on Saturday night.

The son of Perugino also streeted his three rivals – Across The States, Imsoroyal and Royal Bond – to take out the William Inglis and Son Two-Year-old of the Year title, courtesy of his deeds at both Pioneer Park and Morphettville.

Owned by a ten-strong syndicate from the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria, Periduki was purchased from the 2006 Red Centre Yearling Sale by syndicate head Greg Stewart for just $6,000. His stake and bonus earnings from his six scintillating victories stand at just short of $80,000, and he is due to resume as a three-year-old over 1100m at Morphettville on September 22.

Trained throughout his brilliant career to date by Lisa Lefoe, whose jockey-husband Garry has been aboard in all but one of the six victories, Periduki was a popular winner of both awards, and became the first two-year-old winner of the Horse of the Year for well over ten years.

Not to be outdone, Ken Rogerson’s fine sprinter The Soldier also took out two awards – the Territory Hirex Three-Year-Old of the Year, and the Smimac Foodservice Distributors Sprinter of the Year.

The Soldier, owned by Rogerson’s partner Carrol Hunter and Bob Kendray, raced six times during the season for five 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 new racing season had already begun.

The Soldier was winning Horse of the Year categories for the second straight year – he had been the leading two-year-old in 2005/2006.

In the three-year-old category, he gained sufficient votes to narrowly head off Marco Lago, Accurate Gun, The Escapee and Memufasa, while Regal Farce, Coniston Way, Sherminator and Sweeping Move were the beaten brigade in the sprinters’ section.

However, Regal Farce gained a measure of compensation when crowned the White Gum Motel Middle Distance Horse of the Year, heading off Swepscay, Green Machine, Not Abandoned and Very Strange.

The Viv Oldfield-trained chestnut had just four runs during the season, but his three wins and a second were enough to give him the win. Among his victories was a track record effort over 1600m on Alice Springs Cup Day, while he also won over 1400m on the opening day of the Carnival. In between times, he finished a gallant runner-up to Le Niska in the Pioneer Sprint.

Kim Gladwin (32 wins) carried off the XXXX Gold leading jockey award, which was made all the more notable by the fact that he only rode in Alice Springs for less than half the season. The award was accepted on Gladwin’s behalf by fellow jockey Garry Lefoe.

Matthew Hart, for the third successive year, was Alice Springs’ leading apprentice with 16 wins up to December, at which time he completed his apprenticeship. He forged an excellent partnership with the Jami Huish stable during this time.

Viv Oldfield was the leading trainer, with 25 wins, and carried off Alice’s feature event, the XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup with Catechism.

The Arnold family – Keith, Sheila, Doug, Tom and Steven – 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 Red Centre, could be in attendance and the award was accepted on their behalf by Turf 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

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STAKE INCREASES FOR PIONEER PARK

THE Alice Springs Turf Club has moved swiftly to increase stakes for a number of races in the coming months as a result of the abandonment of the January 27 racemeeting at Pioneer Park.

It was always intended that the stakemoney from this abandoned meeting would not be lost to racing in the Territory, and the ASTC Committee has wasted little time in formulating a plan of stake increases for selected races totalling just short of $30,000.

The increases will apply to the Open Handicap on April 7, each of the six races on April 14 (a week prior to the XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup Carnival) and, following the Carnival, one race at each meeting on May 19, June 2, June 16 and June 30.

The increases will be spread across the different classes, so that all horses will have an opportunity to race for additional prizemoney.

The Open 1200m event on April 14 will be the NT TAB ROANT Cup, and has been backed by the NT TAB and ROANT to the tune of $3,000.

It is hoped that these increases will tempt trainers from Darwin to travel to Alice earlier than they maybe would have for the Carnival, and the post-Carnival increases it is envisaged will entice local trainers to keep horses that raced at the Carnival in work for a few weeks extra.

“These increases are a positive move for racing in the Northern Territory,” said Turf Club Chief Executive, Andrew O’Toole.

“We hope that this redistribution of funds that were budgeted for and not paid out due to the January 27 abandonment will increase field sizes and consequently betting on the meetings in question,” he added.

The following races/increases will now apply:

14 February 2007

For further information please contact:

Mr Andrew O'Toole
Manager
Alice Springs Turf Club Inc.
Telephone: (08) 8952 4977

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GETTING LUCKY DOES JUST THAT

GETTING LUCKY, one of the best short-course performers in the Northern Territory, gained further kudos at the CentreRacing Horse of the Year Dinner on Saturday night when carrying off two awards, including the coveted Horse of the Year title.

The chestnut daughter of Danzig Connection, trained by Nigel Moody at Pioneer Park for a syndicate of owners, had a stellar 2005/2006 season. Her 11 starts yielded no less than eight wins, a second and a third, her only unplaced performance being a close-up sixth in the Gillen Club Pioneer Sprint during the 2006 XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup Carnival.  Her durability was unquestionable, as she showed when competing on each of the four days of the Alice Cup Carnival within 17 days, winning twice and being placed third and sixth.  She subsequently showed her class at the Darwin Cup Carnival, winning at weight-for-age over 1200m in track record time before lumping 61.5kg to success in an 1100m handicap.

Getting Lucky, not surprisingly, headed off Coniston Way, Dr Congo, Il Duca and Mookta Gold to take out the Smimac Food Distributors Sprinter of the Year award, and was the logical choice for CentreRacing Horse of the Year honours. She is at present enjoying a well-deserved spell, but the six-year-old seems certain to be back for another campaign before too long.

Zylvester, who was a tremendous winner of the XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup, was a popular winner of the White Gum Motel Middle-Distance Horse of the Year award.  Trained by master horsewoman Sheila Arnold, the son of Zabeel won twice and was placed on four occasions during last season, and his scintillating Cup win made him a clear favourite for the middle-distance award, in which he gained the major share of the votes from Greimota, Aka Bilk, Not Abandoned and Fire Joe.

The Paper Shoppe Three-Year-Old award went the way of Nev Connor’s Filante gelding Filamony, winner of three races during the season including the Crowne Plaza NT Guineas on the first day of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival. All told, Filamony raced nine times during the 2005/2006 term, and added to his wins were two seconds and a third, the latter in the rich NT Derby in Darwin.  Filamony is owned by the Connor family, and gained the nod for the three-year-old title from Go Or See, Jetcent, Razor One and The Tailer.

For the second successive year, the William Inglis and Son Two-Year-Old award went to a Ken Rogerson-trained juvenile, The Soldier taking the title 12 months on from his stablemate The Tailer. Both horses, incidentally, are owned by Rogerson’s partner Carol Hunter and Darwin-based Bob Kendray.  The Soldier, who won two of his four two-year-old starts, was clearly the top first-season galloper, and headed off stablemates Fortune Striker and Dangerous Terrain, and Atomiser for the award.

Craig Moon (36 wins) carried off the XXXX Gold leading jockey award, while Matthew Hart (10 wins), for the second successive year, was Alice Springs’ leading apprentice. Leanne Gillett, in her first season with a trainer’s licence, was easily the leading trainer, her 36 wins putting her well clear of her rivals.

The late trainer Vince Maloney, who passed away during the 2005/2006 season, was inducted onto the Alice Springs Turf Club Wall of Fame. He was an iconic figure in the Red Centre, and his induction was well received 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

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BAIN TAKES PIONEER PARK HELM

PAUL BAIN is the new Chairman of the Alice Springs Turf Club.

At the Club’s monthly Committee meeting on Wednesday, the first since last week’s AGM, Bain was installed in the top job, taking over from Kevin Hickmott, who remains on the Committee.

In an all-new executive Committee, Andrew Doyle takes over the 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 David Lillecrapp, who also remains on the Committee.

Plummer, along with Tim Baker and Alan Rowe, are first-year Committee members, while Russell Johnston makes up the eight-man Committee.

Bain was understandably delighted with his appointment as Chairman.

“It is a great honour to be given the opportunity as Chairman of the ASTC. I look forward to embracing the challenges and am extremely committed to the betterment of our industry, for all participants, in Central Australia."

“I would like to thank Kevin Hickmott for his contribution as Chairman over the past four years, and look forward to his future input on the Committee. I would also like to pay tribute to Steve Byrnes and David Lillecrapp for their contribution to the Executive Committee in recent times.”

Bain is under no illusion as to the magnitude of the task facing him and the Turf Club Committee.

“The forthcoming period is of great importance to our club. We must introduce new initiatives and focus on the growth of racing in Central Australia, but with our fresh, new-look Committee, I am excited about our future prospects,” he said.

Bain, who is in his second stint on the Turf Club Committee, is actively involved in the thoroughbred industry in the Northern Territory. He is the syndicate manager of a number of horses under the Getting Lucky Syndicate banner, and has met with much recent success with the likes of Getting Lucky, Aka Bilk, Boz, Encosta Express, Mrs Macwicked, Lunch Club and the placegetters Table One and Istigirl.

31 August 2006

For further information please contact:

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SIX-FIGURE STAKES BOOST FOR ALICE RACING

RACHORSE owners in Alice Springs will be the recipients of stake increases for the upcoming 2006/2007 season to the tune of over $100,000.

Alice Springs Turf Club Manager, Andrew O’Toole, announced today that at the Club’s monthly Committee meeting on Wednesday it was decided to boost stakes from the start of the new season in August.

The increases are also complemented by a rise in jockeys’ fees ($125 from $120) and the unplaced runner subsidy ($265 from $240) agreed by Thoroughbred Racing NT for the 2006/2007 season.

Stakemoney for 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 (up from the current $5,800), while maidens and class B events will boast stakes of $6,000, an increase of $700 from the current level.

Carnival stakemoney, which this year totalled $420,000 over the four days in April-May, will remain unchanged.

The six-monthly programme for racing in the Northern Territory is due out shortly, and the ASTC Committee was keen to make a positive decision regarding stakemoney so that the new levels could be included in the Trackside publication. The new levels will be reviewed prior to the next six-monthly programme being released around the end of the year.

On top of the increases across the board, the ASTC plans to add additional stakemoney to selected meetings/races. For instance, the Truckies Raceday on August 25, which was such a success last year, will have stakes for this year’s meeting 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, an additional increase of $3,500 on the new levels.

“The Committee was keen to increase stakemoney, and even though the rise is not as much as we had hoped, it is a start,” said O’Toole. “We are getting left behind in the NT compared to Darwin, and had to make a positive move to benefit all stakeholders in Alice Springs,” he said. 

“With the stakes boost and the increase to the unplaced runner subsidy, it is hoped that the confidence of industry participants here in Alice will also increase. We will monitor the situation over the next few months, but we have to be realistic – we cannot up the 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

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XXXX GOLD ALICE SPRINGS CUP CARNIVAL EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATIONS

The 2006 XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup Carnival, held at the picturesque Pioneer Park Racecourse over four days during April and May, concluded with the flagship racemeeting for the Alice Springs Turf Club on May 1 – Cup Day.

The crowd of in excess of 1,800 was treated to a fabulous day’s racing, culminating in the stunning track record performance of locally-trained Zylvester in the $75,000 feature event over 2000m.

The son of champion New Zealand stallion Zabeel, trained by six-time Alice Cup-winning trainer Sheila Arnold, and ridden by visiting South Australian jockey Dominic Tourneur, Zylvester absolutely blitzed his rivals, winning by eight and a-half lengths in a time of 2:00.14, which eclipsed the record which had stood since 1997.

It was a performance which mirrored a superb day’s racing filled with colour, fashions, entertainment for all the family and eight action-packed events on the track.

Lion Nathan NT, the Alice Springs Turf Club’s major supporter and the naming rights sponsor of the XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup Carnival, invited well in excess of 300 guests to the Pavilion, a well-appointed open-sided building which played host to such luminaries as Sheila Laxon (trainer of the mighty Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal and the only woman to have prepared the winner of the great race) and league legend Alan “Alfie” Langer, both of whom mixed and mingled with the large crowd that flocked to Pioneer Park for the day.

Racing enthusiasts came from far and wide to be in attendance – from all states of Australia, and even a group from New Zealand made the trek to Alice Springs.

The Alice Springs Turf Club manager, 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, not surprisingly, leading up to the first day of the Carnival, but when that meeting (Young Guns Day) went so well, I relaxed a little and looked forward with 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 and dined in style in the Pavilion, while the third day, Family Fun Day, was over-run with the younger racegoers and their parents – there was another crowd close on 600 to enjoy the day.

“Cup Day was absolutely sensational from all points of view – we had the numbers, the betting turnover on-course was up on recent years, the bars did a roaring trade, the field sizes were excellent and the weather fantastic. And the racing, which was shown live on TVN, really had the place buzzing,” he said.

The Pioneer Park grounds 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 is one of country racing’s most eagerly-anticipated meetings, and judged on the success of this year’s Carnival, the Alice Springs Turf Club’s “jewel in the crown” 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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