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Media Release: Gawler hops aboard Easter racing program

The Gawler and Barossa Jockey Club – about to unveil its new equine pool – is preparing to fill the Easter Monday void created by the revamped Oakbank carnival.

For the first time, the Club will stage SA’s standalone meeting on Easter Monday, April 13, after an overhaul of Oakbank’s carnival, which will now culminate with the Easter Saturday meeting.

The programming change means racing will be held within one of SA’s iconic wine regions across every day of Easter:

Saturday: Adelaide Hills (Oakbank) and Clare Valley (Clare)
Sunday: Coonawarra (Penola)
Monday: Barossa Valley (Gawler)

Hosting the Monday meeting is a major boon for the Gawler and Barossa Jockey Club, according to club CEO Shane Collins.

“Gawler is excited to be racing on such an iconic weekend and looks forward to supporting the Clare and Oakbank carnivals over Easter,” Mr Collins said.

To further boost its newest race day, the club has moved its traditional Barossa Cup feature event from May to Easter Monday.

“We look forward to establishing another blue-ribbon race day to our yearly calendar,” Mr Collins said.

“It’s going to be a family-friendly day at the races on Easter Monday, before people go back to work and school on the Tuesday.”

Meanwhile the club’s new state-of-the-art equine pool is on track to be open and fully operational by Gawler’s Easter Monday meeting.

The straight-line pool is sixty metres long, 3m wide by 3m deep. It will make Gawler the only SA training facility outside of Morphettville to boast such a facility. In addition to giving local trainers an edge, it is tipped to be a financial winner for the club, attracting additional trainers to the region and allowing participants in other equine fields to use it.

Mr Collins said the club conducted plenty of research – including speaking to leading trainers Phillip Stokes and Tony McEvoy – before deciding on the pool’s design.

Media enquiries: Alexandra Green, Michels Warren PR on 0418 608 038 or agreen@micwar.com.au

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