Catholics on course for record day

Andrew Mathieson
A RACE meeting founded to raise money for Geelong Catholic schools more than 100 years ago is set to exceed its humble beginnings.
Organisers of Geelong St Patrick’s Race Club expect a bumper crowd of several thousand revellers for this Saturday’s annual event.
Registration of marquees has hit an unprecedented “record number” and the restaurant and committee room is already full.
The future of the horse racing event at Geelong Racecourse looks even brighter, with the organisers finally securing a date closer to St Patrick’s Day in March next year.
St Patrick’s chief executive Catherine Moon said Racing Victoria had previously forced organisers to run the one-off meeting a month earlier, such as this year’s February 13 date.
“We’ve always found it very difficult to get people to the racecourse in February, so that’s why this year it’s very pleasing we have got quite a few people already coming,” Ms Moon said.
The first race day was in 1903 but the club started putting the proceeds into charities after Federal Government started funding Catholic schools.
Geelong charities St John of God Day Oncology Centre and Time For Youth will benefit from this year’s races.
The day will host eight races, featuring the Costa’s Gold Cup over 1300 metres.
Ms Moon said racegoers considered the St Patrick’s Race Club day as a cheaper alternative to the Geelong Cup.
Fashions on the field sub-committee spokesperson Amy Kilpatrick expected the summer race date to yield a contrast in outfits to the spring carnival.
“What I’m picturing is something with more colour and pattern, not something you would normally see at a standard race meeting,” Ms Kilpatrick said.
Organisers asked anyone seeking marquee bookings to phone 0409 007 913.