The Bingara Jockey Club held their very successful annual race meeting on Saturday 27 August 2022. It was pleasing to see everything fall into place after previous years’ of COVID and wet weather preventing meetings.
The Bingara Jockey Club was very saddened with the recent passing of Ken Holden who was one of our Race Club Patrons. Ken was a kind, gracious and a very generous gentleman. He was very supportive of the Bingara Jockey Club and held several positions over many years of being involved as a member. We have lost a great club stalwart. On a brighter note, we still have his wonderful wife Gay who as a patron will continue to guide us into the future.
The Bingara Jockey Club also honours the memory of Doug Withers who passed away on 6 July 2020. Doug also was a Race Club Patron who amassed many years as the Clerk of the Course for the Bingara Jockey Club. This was the first Bingara Cup meeting since Doug passed away.
Race 5 – Bingara IGA Bingara Cup Presentation, left to right: Darren Ford, BJ Jnr. & BJ Denham, Destiny’s Son, Amy Hobday, Deanna Ford.
The Carnival featured 5 races with the Bingara Cup being the last race. A very successful “Calcutta” and sweep helped contribute to the day’s takings. The grounds were presented in a wonderful condition and the weather was perfect.
Awards for ‘Fashions of the Field’ were presented by Lenore Kennedy and were taken out by locals Eva Hodgkinson, Brock Galvin and Jayne Roberts, while visitors including Katie Spencer (from Canada and now Gunnedah) and Elton Squires and Beverly Luxton from Armidale also featuring in the winners’ circle.
Local Warialda trainer, Leon Cross was unlucky with his horses however trainers from Walcha, Werris Creek, Armidale, Glen Innes and Moree were successful with the winner of the Bingara Cup, sponsored by Bingara IGA being Destiny’s Son, a horse trained by Peter Sinclair from Moree.
Guest of honour for the day was Deanna Ford, wife of the late Ron Ford, who was a top jockey in the north and northwest of NSW and southern Qld for over five decades. Ron had a connection with Bingara as he rode for two generations for the Munro family and won many Cups during his career, including three Bingara Cups.
Deanna sashed the Cup winner Destiny’s Son, along with her son Darren.
