Katherine Cup Day, which normally goes ahead 12 days after Darwin Cup Day, takes place this Saturday, with KTC president Paul Mullins and his committee busily completing preparations.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Katherine Turf Club’s marquee meeting at the Jim Jackson Racecourse still went ahead as scheduled.
Last year, the track was resurfaced with 1600 tons of new sand added around its entire circumference, which is roughly 1500m.
It was the first time in eight years that the track had been resurfaced, and it took the KTC around eight weeks to have it ready for racing.
The consensus was that the track was loose and a bit soft, which made racing a lot different compared to previous years.
“Mate, we’re working hard with the track at the moment,” Mullins said on Wednesday.
“It’s the second year with the new sand and the blending is still a bit of a science, but we seem to be getting it right.
“Because it was an old oil track originally, it’s just getting that right combination with the amount of water you can get into it with the new sand.
“After a wet season and a very blowy June and July here the sand shifted as it does – it’s looking a little bit like Dubai.”
Mullins said the track is also used by the public to exercise their horses, especially in the field of polocrosse.
Trainers from the south and the west also stop in Katherine to give their horses a hit-out en route to the Darwin Cup Carnival.
Mullins, as well as the committee, members and community, are once again looking forward to Cup Day.
“It is certainly a big weekend for us and we haven’t made a lot of changes since last year,” Mullins said.
“The format we’ve been running seems to run well.
“With the way the financial world is these days we didn’t want to make it any harder or any dearer for the public.
“Everybody enjoyed it last year and we’ll see how the financial world goes in the next 12 months.
“We might be able to bring in a few new things, but definitely got more races this year again which is good.”
The feature race on Saturday is the $30,000 Katherine Cup (1700m), and although it has only attracted a field of six, it should prove to be a competitive race.
Last year’s winner, Vallabar, from the stable of leading NT trainer Gary Clarke, is backing up despite a disappointing Darwin Cup Carnival.
Stablemate Influential Jack might be the one to beat as Clarke strives to win Katherine’s biggest race for the fourth time in five years, following the success of Downhearted (2019) and Handsome Return (2020).
Neil Dyer’s Hettinger, a star in Alice Springs and Darwin this year, should battle it out with Influential Jack for favouritism with online bookmakers, while Phil Cole’s Afternoon Tea, Chris Pollard’s All Hard Wood and Tayarn Halter’s Kippax won’t be that far away.
The good news for the KTC is that prizemoney for the Katherine Cup this year has increased from $25,000 to $30,000 thanks to an arrangement with Ladbrokes, and that is expected to increase in coming years.
The total prizemoney for Cup Day 2023 is $150,000, an increase of $17,000 from last year, with 45 runners accepting for the seven races.
“We could have done with a few more, but it is what it is,” Mullins said.
“Always pending how they pull up after Darwin too as to whether they’re going to come good after a two-week spell.
“The fashions of the field will probably be ramped up a little bit more for the ladies, and of course the gents and the kids.
“Sponsors have been fantastic again and they have come through quite handsomely for the fashions of the field.
“It should be a nice day out, the grounds are looking good.
“The locals get right behind Cup Day and they will turn out in force as they always do.
“For those attending a Katherine Cup for the first time, you can expect to have a fun day – a great day out.
“If you haven’t got accommodation, you better start looking for something real quick.”
Mullins said that the KTC remained hopeful that Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory would soon grant the club a second meeting during the year.
“We are still pushing for a second race meeting with TRNT, which has been on the table for a couple of years, and we should be getting closer to a decision,” he said.
“When that meeting would be held will be decided by them, but we are hoping for something around June leading into the Darwin carnival.”
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