A huge crowd turned for the 2022 Goondiwindi Picnic Races.
More than 3750 patrons had a great day and certainly played well into the night.
The Goondiwindi Race Club also welcomed back leading NSW country trainer Peter Sinclair who supported the meeting with three starters and won two races including the feature Picnic Cup, just as he did two years ago.
The picnics committee deserves its praise according to the Goondiwindi Racing Club's Graeme Scheu.
"The day was perfect, the grounds immaculate and the set up by the young committee was second to none.
"The town of Goondiwindi is so lucky to have such good clubs and committees like the Picnics and Hell of the West that can turn on two weekends like the town has just seen.
"The town was packed out both weekends with no spare rooms and every restaurant and coffee shop full to the brim," he said.
Racing commenced with the Hayes Spraying Class 1 over 1000 metres where the Roma-trained As Good as Ready ridden by promising apprentice Liv O'Donnell was too good after being sensationally backed from $3.25 into even money.
Bill of Rights looked home but a great rails-hugging ride saw As Good as Ready finish strongly along the rail with local chance, Camarillo back in third place. The Doyle Wilson Maiden over 1000 metres was next and another rail-hugging ride by Shannon Apthorpe saw No Choices claim local hope Zaragigi on the line with Grinziger Hope back in third. Unfortunately, the race saw a fall and jockey Liv O'Donnell was taken to hospital with a broken collar bone.
The Ambrose Haulage BM 55 saw the crowd erupt when local hero Fitzroy Boy saluted on his home track.
Young apprentice Sariah Champkin jumped him straight to the front and that was the end of the story. Nothing was going to catch him and although Write On tried hard, he was no match for Fitzroy Boy.
Then it was the Kenway & Clarke /Brown & Hurley Cup over 1200 metres.
Peter Sinclair was keen to reopen his account at Gunsynd Park and that he did when Maslow proved too good for the field.
Vertical gave a glimmer of hope for a while but Maslow held onto his length lead and won well.
Swan Island plugged on for third.
Toowoomba jockey Nathan Fazackerley picked up all the Sinclair mounts and finished with a good day with two winners and a second.
The last was the B & W Rural Class B over 1400 meters and once again, Sinclair was to the fore with Jonesy who was backing up from a Gunnedah TAB day.
He was just too strong for Coffee Coming who got home strongly but was just not strong enough.
Louvre Lil was third.
And so, another successful Picnic Race Day came to a close, at least the racing part.
The committee can now sit back and wait until April next year when they will do it all again.
Goondiwindi Regional Mayor, Cr Lawrence Springborg AM praised the event and the committee.
"I 'd like to congratulate the committees of both the Hell of the West and the Goondiwindi Picnic Races on a wonderful few weekends of sport and social connection.
"With visitors and athletes joining us from near and far, these events are a wonderful opportunity to show us off as regional Australia at its best."
