Pakenham gets a race surprise

By Stuart Teather
PAKENHAM Racing Club will hold a surprise race meeting on Friday, after picking up a day scheduled to be held at Geelong.
Racing in Geelong has been postponed indefinitely with serious track issues crippling the club and as a result its race meets have been sent elsewhere.
Pakenham was granted a meet for this Friday and racing manager Michael Hodge said the club was more than happy to accept the event.
“It has a positive impact financially on the club, but also for the local racing community,” he said.
“Pakenham’s track, being in A1 condition, and given we’re only racing once a month on it at best, we were granted a meet.”
Hodge said the fact that Pakenham could take on the extra meeting was a reflection of the club’s racing capacity.
“It’s also a reflection of how under-utilised the course here at Pakenham is, given its condition, and we can clearly run more race meetings.”
Hodge said given Geelong had closed its track indefinitely, Pakenham would put its hand up for more meetings should they become available.
“The club will have a look at our ability over the next month or so to be able to race, possibly, another meeting from Geelong,” he said.