Blue Vein wins the Merrylees Hotel 1200 Second Race at Woodville on Friday.
Blue Vein wins the Merrylees Hotel 1200 Second Race at Woodville on Friday.
Pic 2: BTG230821WR2 Caption: Merrylees Hotel proprieter Nicola McLean passes the winner's bottle of wine to another Woodville Racing Club member of the committee Pat Shannon, receiving on behalf of absent owners The Bull family from Hunterville.
Pic 3: BTG230821WR3 Caption: Happy punters Di and Kerry Hawke, Steve and Ron Wallace.
Pic 4: BTG230821WR4 Caption: It's not over until the finish Roschana (9) overtakes Iconic Lass (5) to win with Belclare (3) and Canucia (7) second and third respectively in Race 5.
Pic 5: BTG230821WR5 Caption: Shouting Dad a good time on his birthday the Hauiti sons and grandsons from left: Graiden, Eru, Peka(dad), Rani, Tiwai Hauiti.
Pic 6: BTG230821WR6 Caption: Paul Peeti and Rod Fleming at the races to honour the latter's dad Tom in race 4 The Tom Fleming Memorial.
Friday 13th might be unlucky for some but it certainly was not for the Woodville-Pahiatua Racing Club because despite a very bleak forecast of heavy rain all day, a terrific crowd turned out to its August Raceday.
The track was assessed as a heavy 10 but the terrific surface of grass and lack of mud made racing pretty good for riders and horses.
The racing industry supported Woodville's enterprise with good fields averaging 10 in all races and the fine, windy weather with the very occasional skiff of rain rewarded their support and that of the punters totalling over 200.
Happy punters Di and Kerry Hawke, Steve and Ron Wallace.
The races started with an exciting win to Bellissimo a former Woodville-Pahiatua Cup winner and continued on in that manner Blue Vein beating Chequer Board by a nose in the Merryless Hotel 1200 Pull No Punches knocking out Lord Esperanza in the third.
Race Four – the Tom Fleming Memorial 1400- in honour of a very keen supporter of the club was won by Bold Star. Tom's son Rod attended his first race day with an Owahanga mate Paul Peeti to hand over the prize.
Racing continued all day with the crowd really appreciating the new heating installed throughout the facility as did the women jockeys with new ablution facilities, the trainers with upgraded stable doors and the few who frequented the nearly completely repainted public stand.
One special family group came to celebrate their dad Peka's 66th birthday. Sons Eru, Rani and Tiwai Hauiti, with grandson Graiden, hosted him to nine holes of golf in the morning, races in the afternoon, a hangi in the evening and pig-hunting at 5.30 the next morning. What a family!
Someone else celebrating her birthday was district councillor Shirley Hull (who wouldn't divulge her age). She had had a great day too, attending the opening of the Pahiatua Main Street Upgrade in the morning followed by the races and winning $101 in Race 5 with the prospects of dinner with family in the evening.
With the wind, clouds, sunshine and the odd shower there were plenty of rainbows and just maybe the Woodville-Pahiatua Racing Club found a little pot of gold to help finance its impressive upgrade.
