CLOSE to 1500 eager racing enthusiasts converged at the Middlemount Race Club earlier this month to soak in the atmosphere of a closely contested five race program while having a great time with friends and family along the way.
It really was a day for the whole family with rides for the children including jumping castles, dodge’ems and the whizzer and for the bigger kids as well as the race action a band kept the atmosphere alive well into the night.
A 1920s theme prevailed for the day with some fantastic era-inspired fashions on display from the ladies, gents and kids. The theme also stretched to the lounge and marquee area which heightened the atmosphere even more.
Two special races were held on the day in memory of Graeme Acton and Paul McGuire who are well known, highly respected and sadly missed by people of the Middlemount community.
The Graeme Acton Memorial Benchmark 55 was won by the Tracy Simmons trained Top Button ridden by her husband David Simmons.
“Mr Acton was a foundation member of the Middlemount Race club and also a past President, so we felt it was a nice way to honour the work he had done for the club,” Club President Bill Gray said.
"He had done a lot for the area, for all rural areas, and quite a few of the rural people supported this race with sponsorship in his memory,” he said.
The Paul McGuire Memorial Dachshund Sprint was sponsored by the Middlemount Post Office. The race was run in memory of Mr McGuire who was killed in a mine accident at Middlemount earlier this year.
The race was won by Sally, owned and trained by Middlemount local Catherine Wilson.
A Calcutta was held on the runners in the final with about $3000 raised which by request from Mr McGuire’s wife Melissa went to the RACQ Capricorn Rescue Service.
"Paul's death did affect the town a lot… everyone knew Paul, as you do in a small town like this," Mr Gray said.
"He was a very family oriented man and in his younger days he was involved with racing in Julia Creek and Hughenden, and he always supported our races,” he said.
