Marburg to welcome families for Easter Sunday Family Funday

By Andrew Smith

Marburg Pacing Association is gearing up for its biggest race day of the year with the Easter Sunday Family Funday.

The nine-race card, which includes the Oakwood Capital Goldstrike Series Final, will be complemented by a range of family-friendly events over the course of the day.

First held in 2018, the Funday is expected to attract around close to 2,000 people to the Marburg track.

“Outside of the racing, we’ve got TAB with two bookmakers, we’ve got mini trots, a jumping castle, dodgem cars, face painting, and country music singer Rebecca Lee Nye,” Marburg Pacing Association President Scott Neaves said.

“We’ve also got Fashions on the Field, race book prizes, a $10,000 pick the card, a funny money bookmaker, as well as a bar, canteen and food van.

“That’s what we’re catering for is for people to be able to enjoy the day regardless of their interest in racing.

“Hopefully it will spur their interest in racing alongside having a good day out with the kids and the whole family.

“There’s enough various things of interest - Mum’s got something to do, Dad’s got something to do, the kids are busy.

“Everyone can keep to themselves without hopefully having to sit around going ‘when’s it time to come home!’”

The feature event will be the Goldstrike Series Final, with an 11-strong field battling it out for almost $36,000 in prize money.

Heats were held last Sunday, with horses starting from the front mark handicap before reverting to a set handicap dependent on their National Rating, if progressing through to the Final.

“It’s a pretty interesting race in terms of the heats and the horses competing against their own class and then into the final,” Neaves said.

“It’s a handicap so there’s that question about whether the more lowly-assessed horse can still outstay the slightly tighter-assessed horse with the handicap.

“So that creates a bit of interest and a bit of old-fashioned skill and tactics required which is really what we were trying to create rather than the standard mobile where it’s fastest at the start, fastest at the finish.”

Heat winners Aunty Frances, Chanceless Century, Mi Furioso Toro and Zach Lowe will take part in what should be a hotly contested Final.

“It’s a certainty in terms of the quality of horses that were going around in the heats, so it certainly looks like a good race and probably looks like a tricky race,” he said.

“Some of the horses that perhaps are less tightly-assessed still went a pretty quick time.

“They might give them a bit of a side out in front if they can jump away with the advantage of the front mark, but it looks like it will be an interesting race.

“There’s also a maiden race which has the opportunity for someone to take home their $14,000 QBRED bonus so that’s exciting.”

Racing starts at 12:18pm, with the last at 4:55pm.

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