A cash-boosted Sunday card and the appearance of a former AFL star will lift the profile of Gunbower Harness Racing Club’s 100-year celebrations later this month.

The club has secured significant sponsorship for the February 18 meeting which will be headlined by the $14,000 saveourbacon.com.au Gunbower Centenary Trotters Cup and the $14,000 Brereton Family Gunbower Centenary Pacers Cup.

Collingwood premiership player Mick McGuane will attend the races to host a marquee throughout the day, while $1000 will go to the leading trainer at the meeting thanks to G & M Poly. This will be decided on a 5,4,3,2,1 points system for placings across the 10-race card.

Grant Lunghusen, the great grandson of the club’s first-ever president, said the day was set to be a special one for the Gunbower community.

“I went around and chased some good sponsorship that I just wanted to put into some races where we got some better-class horses,” he said.

“We’ve already had our cup meeting back in December and this is just our average meeting for the year. Now, because it’s our centenary, we’ve thrown in that extra money to boost the meeting.

“It’s a big day for Gunbower and surrounds.”

Daryl Poxon has compiled a book detailing the history of the club and it will be unveiled as part of the centenary celebrations.

“There’s about 140 people who have been invited,” Lunghusen said.

“We’ve got 100 years of information in that book, right back to the first fields that were ever raced. It’s amazing. We’ve still got the original book from 100 years ago and that’s been placed into the actual book itself.

“Daryl’s put a lot of work and a lot of time into it, it’s just incredible.”

The saveourbacon.com.au Gunbower Centenary Trotters Cup is for squaregaiters rated up to 75, while the Brereton Family Gunbower Centenary Pacers Cup is for horses up to NR90. Both will be staged over the 2630m journey.

Nominations for the Gunbower meeting close on Tuesday, February 13, with full race conditions available here.

For more information on the day, visit the club’s Facebook page.