There were big-time beneficiaries on and off the dirt track at Saturday night's Shepparton Cup final. (Photo: Clint Anderson)
It was an event billed as a bit of everything and it delivered in that fashion.
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Saturday evening brought festivities and fiery competition alike at Shepparton Greyhound Racing Club as its most prestigious annual event the Shepparton Cup was run.
Heats earlier in the week had set the stage for a frenetic finale, as you would expect when a more than handy $87,000 payout is at stake.
It was about more than the action you could have blinked and missed on the track, though, with a variety of charitable causes in play trackside and channelled through the races themselves.
Pre-race favourite Lakeview Emily completes the job in style to claim the main event. (Photo: Clint Anderson)
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Raya Star came home with honours in race six, the Byers Electrical Stayers. (Photo: Clint Anderson)
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Onlookers were out in droves to take in the atmosphere. (Photo: Clint Anderson)
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There were 87,000 new reasons for Lakeview Emily's handlers to smile - 87,001 if you count the Cup. (Photo: Clint Anderson)
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Raya Star wasn't an odds-on favourite in the Byers race, but saluted strongly in the 650m pacer. (Photo: Clint Anderson)
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It was the shimmering prize which brought people through the door - in its glory before the frenzy. (Photo: Clint Anderson)
Of most value on the night was, of course, race nine as the Shepparton Cup final took place with Harley Whelan-trained favourite Lakeview Emily drawing box one after conquering the heats in pole position.
Once the competitors broke loose, it wasn’t hard to see why.
It was a start-to-finish conquest over 450m, where she ripped clear and had no trouble cutting down her 24.89-second heat pace to register a maiden Group victory in 24.77.
It was a scrap alongside rank outsider Fernando Phil, last on the tote but remaining competitive enough down the stretch to nab second in a time which would have only been 0.02 seconds slower than the best heat run.
On the personal side of things, the Dookie Devenish and District Good Friday Appeal fundraiser was a smashing success in its own right, contributing more than $3000 towards the Royal Children’s Hospital as the big day sits less than a month away.
Through a range of race-driven initiatives and competitions on the night, the club ended up parting with $10,500 going towards various district sporting organisations.
There was no bigger beneficiary than Picola District Football Netball League’s Katunga Football Netball Club, which walked away with $5000 after its assigned runner got up in the annual feature where eight clubs vied for the payout vicariously.
Though legendary trainer Jason Thompson didn’t field an entrant in the cup final after winning it last year with Explicit, it was a happy evening for him nonetheless as his Field Day took out the Tony McGrath Memorial in race eight.
Spruiking a record club attendance of more than 2000 patrons, it couldn’t have gone more to script, president Carl McGrath said.
“It was a massive night. The race caller was saying it was the biggest crowd he’d ever seen at a country cup,” McGrath said.
“It was bigger than what we expected, even though last year was so successful.
“It just means more planning next year to make even more happen.
“The last three years, it’s been trending upwards. A lot of people and sporting clubs have contacted us to thank us for the night, so no complaints is always great.
“It was terrific with the amount of people in our community that turned up for it and it’s huge for our club.”
