AFTER a very presidential quarter of a century at the helm of the St Pat’s Day Racing Club, Marg Corradini could be forgiven for looking forward to a backseat for a few years.
But the tireless worker just can’t quite give it up yet and is still on board – this year as the person in charge of racing.
Which, in a nutshell, means two years after handing the reins to Andrew Schmidt, Ms Corradini is the go-to girl for putting the program together for the big day.
And what a program it is – the club has been able to boost prizemoney for the ClubsNSW Outback Cup to a handsome $30,000 and the Gary Radford Memorial has been upped to $15,000.
The other five events in the seven-race card will each be for $12,000 in prizemoney and trophies.
However, Ms Corradini reckons the reconfigured ‘float allowance’ will prove a major drawcard with trainers and owners.
“In previous years we have paid a $200 float allowance, whether you had one horse or six in yours,” she said.
“This year the rebate will be $200 for every horse coming to the races – we are a pretty isolated course, and we get horses coming from all over, and that’s not cheap these days, so we are delighted we have the sponsorship and funding to be able to make things a little easier for all the trainers and owners who support us.
Ms Corradini isn’t joking when she says runners come from far and wide.
The Hobson stable in Swan Hill, for example, has been a meeting staple since 2016, often bringing a team of 10 or 12 horses to Broken Hill, happily making the 1000km round trip each year.
They also have Allan Prisk coming every year from Cobar – a mere 900km there and back – and others from Adelaide, another lazy 1000km plus along the Barrier Highway and home.
“Without all the trainers it’s hard to hold a race meeting and so many of these people have been with us a long time and they add real depth to the day,” Ms Corradini said.
“Just as we have such a strong relationship with the harness racing and greyhound clubs here, we all help each other where we can and it works for everyone.
“They help make the whole weekend a punter’s paradise.
“And without our sponsors and suppliers I don’t know where we would be, Radford Earthmovers have been with us since 1966 – day one – and I can’t imagine St Pat’s happening without them.
“Gary built our pavilion and right now his son Steve and his team are giving the track the overhaul it needs to be right for race day.
“Then there are others, such as Shannon Electrics, which has been part of St Pat’s Day for 30 years, and ClubsNSW, one way or another, has also been on board since the start.”
Although Ms Corradini responsibility is the four-legged department, she did confirm race caller Rob Fuller would be calling eight events, not just seven, this year.
With the St Pat’s Day sprint (down the home straight) for humans. There will be a $1000 foot race between horse races and Rob will be calling the scramble through the sand.
“I don’t do the two-legged races, but it will be another entertaining part of our great weekend,” Ms Corradini said.
