The annual St Arnaud Cup Day is just around the corner, set to take place this Sunday, November 10.

This exciting day of racing is a standout event on the local calendar, attracting harness racing participants, followers, and families.

Local participant and club committee member Shaun McNaulty is a passionate advocate for this race day.
“It’s just a good country day and a good time of year with the weather,” McNaulty said.
“We always get a handy crowd, and it's got a bit of a velodrome set up, so it's a pretty good atmosphere.”

This year, the St Arnaud Club has gone above and beyond, adding over $12,000 in bonuses to enhance the day’s racing and attract more horses to the meeting. Among the generous offerings are increased prize money for the main events, as well as special incentives for trainers and drivers. Every runner will also receive a $50 fuel voucher, making this a truly rewarding day for participants.

The spotlight will be on two prestigious races: the Weirs IGA & Liquor St Arnaud HRC Pacing Cup and the Sporting Club Trotters Cup, each boasting a prize purse of $15,000, with the club adding an extra $3,000 in prize money to each of the cups.

“We've added an extra $3,000 to each feature to bump things up a little bit, to try and make it a meeting that stands out on the calendar for trainers,” McNaulty said.

“The fuel voucher is the club thanking the owners and trainers for supporting the meeting, just by helping them pay their way to get there. It's just a way of giving back and thanking the participants for entering and racing horses at the track.”

To encourage participants to nominate horses for the day, a $2,000 Trainer of the Day bonus will be awarded based on a point system. Throughout the day, trainers can earn points: 5 for a first-place finish, 3 for second, 2 for third, and 1 for every other runner.
“The idea of that is to encourage people to bring more horses and to get good-sized fields,” said the local trainer.

Additionally, a $2,000 Driver of the Day bonus will be awarded, with points allocated only to the top three drivers in each race.
“For the Driver of the Day, it's basically a three-to-one point system: three points for each winner, two points for second, and one point for third.”

The main features are accompanied by a variety of races for all horses, including maidens.
“Realistically, if you've got a horse in your stable, unless it's a 100-plus rater, there’s a race for it.”

Last year’s St Arnaud Pacers Cup was won by the Nathan Cahir-prepared Telemachus, and the Trotters Cup was won by the Brent Lilley-prepared Baxter.

St Arnaud Cup Day is a family-friendly event, featuring Pony Trots sponsored by Gusman Racing, face painting for the kids, Kelly Sports events, and a DJ between races. There’s something for everyone, making it the perfect outing for families and friends.

Don’t forget that nominations close at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.