Races ‘sail’ to Pakenham

Brad Kingsbury
PAKENHAM will now host the Sale Turf Club race meeting that was to be run at Bairnsdale this Monday, 18 December.
The meeting was to be staged at Bairnsdale Racing Club due to maintenance works at Sale, but a second transfer has become necessary due to Bairnsdale racecourse being used as a designated refuge area for those who have left their homes as a result of the present bushfire threat.
A number of families, including several from the Dargo area, are utilising the club facilities at Bairnsdale and authorities have stated the refuge is likely to be required well into next week, with hot weather conditions unlikely to ease before then.
Pakenham racecourse manager Michael Hodge said the club was ready and able to host the meeting despite the short backup from last Friday’s Christmas race day.
“It’s a great vote of confidence in Pakenham by the industry that we were offered the meeting,” he said.
“The 10day backup from last week will not be an issue and the track is in magnificent racing order. It’s a credit to all involved in the effort to bring Pakenham back to the fore in racing.”