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Remembering a mate with two big days of golfing and racing at Moree and Talmoi

ROUND three of bush racing’s Golden Triangle jumps from the barriers at Garah’s historic Talmoi racecourse on Saturday – and quite a few visitors will jump straight from the emerald-green sward of the Moree golf course on Friday to take part in two very special days of golfing and racing.

Saturday’s race meeting is part of a big weekend for the family and friends of the late John Brown Jr, who tragically succumbed to leukaemia in July, 2017.

The John Brown Jr Memorial Golf Day will be held at Moree Golf Club on Friday, with many golfers backing up the following day at Talmoi to enjoy some good, old-fashioned bush racing.

It will also be a special time to remember a golfing mate who loved the turf and also has close family ties with the Garah community.

And the day will be made that extra-special if I Am Dynamic can win the Helen Boland Memorial Bracelet for Moree racecourse manager John Brown – the gelding carries the colours of his late son.

I Am Dynamic, bought prior to John Brown Jr’s death, won the Moree Bracelet last year before finishing in the minor money at Mallawa and Garah.

The seven-year-old hasn’t appeared since finishing down the track behind Call Me Brad at Quirindi last November.

“I Am Dynamic hasn’t raced for a while and it would be a fairytale come true if he could win at Talmoi,” Brown said.

“But the horse is fit and well, and this is the right type of race for him – it’s his class of race.”

Brown added a large contingent of family and friends will be in town for two days of golfing and racing.

“The day at the races will be a flow-on from the golf day on Friday, which already has about 120 players signed up for a four-person ambrose. It will be a shotgun start at 10am,” he said.

“It will be a great couple of days and I’d really like to thank Tim and Debbie Evans from the Royal Hotel, who have given free accommodation to a lot of visitors coming up for the weekend.

“Tim and Debbie love their golf as well as their racing, and it’s a very kind gesture on such a very special weekend,” Brown said.

“It’s also very kind of Cloud 9 Skin and Beauty in Moree to be part of the bus we have planned to take everyone to the races on Saturday.

“We have about 50-odd so far booked in, and it’s only a 57-seater so there’s not much room left,” he smiled.

The Talmoi club on Monday received 33 nominations for the six-race meeting, with acceptances due on Thursday.

The 1400m B&W Rural Warren and Ruth Hunter Memorial Talmoi Cup has drawn five nominations including Peter Sinclair’s stablemates Track Flash (68.5kg) and Happens Nomore (62kg) and Mallawa Cup winner Oh Why (71.5kg), now with trainer Luke Berger after being bought by an Inverell syndicate of owners.

The gelding, when trained by Sinclair, won the Mallawa Cup by a widening eight lengths and will again be hard to beat on Saturday.

The Chesterfield Helen Boland Memorial Bracelet has attracted seven nominations including Sinclair’s recent Moree Bracelet winner Free Billy (70kg) and stablemate I Am Dynamic (64kg) as well as Luke Morgan’s Mallawa Bracelet winner Folkstone (68kg).

Consistent gelding Beau In Chains, trained at Moree by Doug Fernando, has been given 62kg in the Bracelet.

Beau In Chains reverts back to 1000m after finishing third to Oh Why in the Mallawa Cup over 1400m.

“We’ll bring him back to the shorter course because he goes too fierce over the 1400m,” Fernando said.

“It was a good run in the Mallawa Cup after missing the start by about half-a-length. He made up a lot of ground and travelled well but just ran out of gas the last little bit.

“He goes good if the there’s a bit of pace on and his run at Goondiwindi (prior to Mallawa) was really good over the 1200m. I really think 1000m to 1200m is his go,” he said.

The Talmoi track and facilities have undergone a major facelift in recent years and club president Justin Ramsay says there are exciting time ahead, despite severe drought conditions.

“Through the assistance of grants from the State Government and Racing NSW, the committee has had the opportunity to complete some exciting projects, including the reconstruction of the historic grandstand, and the implementation of both male and female toilet blocks for patrons,” Ramsay said.

“We have also sought funding to replace our dining and entertainment building behind the grandstand to complete the upgrade to our facilities.

“The committee hopes this expansion will lead to additional community events being held at the track, and an even more enjoyable day for race-goers each year,” he said.

“The ongoing drought has put a strain on the region, and the committee is sincerely appreciative of the continued support shown by local businesses in their ongoing sponsorship of this event.

“The Talmoi picnic races are a day for people, both local and visitors, to come together and enjoy Garah and its incredible community,” Ramsay said.

Words and Image: Bill Poulos