"The final tally has yet to be done, but it looks like we'll be able to hand over around $8000 to Hospice Wanganui and that's not far shy of the $10,000 we used to raise each season over the six or seven years we hosted the charity meeting at Labour Weekend.
"There was a great crowd and an awesome atmosphere and I think that was a combination of the twilight concept, which is a first for us, and the charity fundraiser.
"I was delighted to see the number of kids who turned up - we promoted it as a family day out and that's what happened.
"The tender process we ran to sell items generously donated by Wanganui business houses was extremely well supported and raised quite a few dollars for Hospice. I thank both the community and the businesses."
The betting fraternity also came to the party, wagering $54,342 on-course over the eight-race programme, well in excess of the $32,916 target set by the TAB. Off-course punters pumped $714,348 through the tote, again well over the $662,400 TAB target.
"On a normal Thursday meeting, we'd expect a turner of around $35,000, so to easily break both betting budgets was spectacular and I think those results will help convince the NZ Racing dates committee to give us a February date again next season," Mr Field said.
Meanwhile, the outcome of the feature race on the day, the Guthrie Bowron Hospice Cup, could not have been scripted better. The race was won by up-and-coming staying star Miss Ana, owned and trained in Wanganui.
The six-year-old mare is owned by retired farmer Patrick O'Leary and trained by Stephen Crutchley, who also produced Ontheriver to win the QBE Insurance Rating 65 1360-metre event earlier on the card. Ontheriver is owned by Patrick O'Leary's brother Dan, who has not been in the best of health in recent times.
Both O'Leary brothers were on course to enjoy the victories and said it was one of the most memorable racings days they had celebrated over many years in the game.
The day was rounded off for the locals with Paul Belsham also producing a winner, while Wanganui-based jockey Jonathon Parkes rode two winners, including Ontheriver for Dan O'Leary.