By Jordan Gerrans
From the bush in Far North Queensland to the city in Cairns and now eventually to the world.
That has been the evolution of the uber-popular Cairns Amateurs Racing Carnival over the decades and the club’s committee is now aiming to take their product international.
“Amateurs” in FNQ every year is one event all racing and fashion followers have on their list to attend whenever possible.
They come from across Queensland, as well as those from interstate, looking to avoid the colder winter and autumn months at Cairns bathes in sunshine in September.
And, with a contingent making the trek across from New Zealand in 2022, Far North Amateur Turf Club president David Goodman believes attracting more international racegoers in the coming years will only enhance the carnival’s reputation.
“One of the aspects we have targeted – with the help of our fashion committee members – is bringing in international contestants in,” Goodman said.
“There will be people out of the Christchurch Racing Club, the fashion winner from their major carnival coming to Cairns.
“We are going to extend that and start looking at the other race clubs throughout Queensland to try and develop a grand finale of fashion – if you like – at Amateurs, which will become a regular event.
“We are the last event of the northern carnival, then it will be a great finish for all of them.
”The mission of the club is to operate a sustainable and accessible annual racing carnival showcasing the social, cultural, and commercial attributes of Cairns and the tropical north.”
While the $150,000 Cairns Amateurs Cup is the main event on the track on Saturday afternoon, there is so much more to the three-day carnival than just horse racing.
It is about fashion, the high tea, the gala ball on Saturday evening and everything else in between.
Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell believes "Amateurs" in FNQ is a unique time on the racing calendar across Australia.
“The tropical Far North is a special part of Australia and the Sunshine State,” Parnell said.
“The carnival and their Cup is the end of the northern carnival every year.
“It is great with marquees lining the in-field and the out-field, large crowds with people who have travelled from around Australia to enjoy the wonderful hospitality of the tropics.
“It is a beautiful part of Australia, being on the door steps of the Great Barrier Reef and the tropical Far North Daintree.
“It will have one of the largest crowds in regional Queensland for racing.
“The hospitality and the great service of Cairns and that region really puts on a show at this time of year and I encourage everyone that if they get the chance, travel north for the Amateurs Cup.”
The Far North Queensland Amateur Turf Club was established 63 years ago by the late Sir Sydney Williams OBE and Les Gallagher to introduce a coastal version of the historical Oak Park races as a way of bringing city and country people together.
The committee of ten members - spanning representatives from outback stations and Cairns’ businesses - presented the first ever Cairns Amateurs Carnival on 18 and 19 September 1959.
And, every year since it has grown from strength to strength.
In the old days, all the jockeys were only amateurs – which is where the name came from – whereas in recent years, they are all professional riders.
In the middle of the 1990s, a ruling disallowed amateur riders from competing, the ‘amateurs’ tradition however has been retained and is deeply instilled within the spirit of the club’s culture.
Sir Sydney Williams OBE and Les Gallagher’s vision - among others - lives on to this day.
“They saw what was being done there at Oak Park, Sir Sydney Williams wanted to bring the people from out there to intermingle with the people in the city,” Goodman said.
“It brought together the city and the country.
“It has evolved.”
Williams and Gallagher were able to attract “captains of industry” to Cairns for the annual carnival, bringing people of great wealth and influence to a city that they would rarely visit, outside of being in holiday mode.
The Amateurs Club uses the premier race track in FNQ – Cannon Park – which is operated by the Cairns Jockey Club, who ran their own Cup and carnival just last month.
The two clubs – the Amateurs and CJC – work hand in hand to ensure two high level racing carnivals are delivered.
The Amateurs run the fashion, the bars, hospitality and functions while the Jockey Club ensure all the racing essentials are completed, including the barrier staff, booking ambulances and everything else in between to make sure the two race days are a success.
Cameron Riches – who is only new to the job as Cairns Jockey Club General Manager – says the two entities work closely towards so the 2022 TAB Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival finishes in perfect fashion.
“The working relationship between the Cairns Jockey Club and the Cairns Amateurs grows year on year,” Riches said.
“The Cairns Jockey Club serves our Cairns Cup to a level it requires and then the Amateurs come in a fortnight later with a focus on tourism.
“One of their slogans over the years has been “Racing on the Great Barrier Reef” and it is fantastic to have two club’s working together as well as we do in Cairns.
“They are two major events for the region, being just two weeks apart.”
Cairns-based businessman Goodman has been involved with the Amateurs club for the last 15 years, first taking on the role as secretary and treasurer after he was referred to the opportunity by one of his clients.
As a long-time business identity in FNQ, Goodman is quick to point out the economic impact the carnival has on the region, filling up hotel’s, bars and restaurants.
“The major thing about Cairns Amateurs that makes it stand out from all other race meets in Australia is that we are a once a year carnival and we are more than just racing,” Goodman said.
“The major attraction for the majority of patrons that do come here is fashion and the social aspect, and then we have the racing on top of that.
“The fact that we race once a year – across two days back-to-back – it leads us to being an iconic event for not just Cairns, but for the region and the state, as well interstate.”
With borders and the pandemic not as much of a concern in 2022 as they were in previous years, Goodman reports groups of 60 coming to Cairns from Victoria, with other contingents of around 20 people coming from NSW and other states of Australia.
With direct flights to our neighbours across the ditch to Cairns, Goodman is hopeful of tapping into the race-loving public in New Zealand.
“If we can show we are a quality event – which we are – then we anticipate then there not just be people coming for a fashion sense from NZ, but also now race goers coming to Cairns to attend the Amateurs,” he said.
“That is the sort of thing that makes us different.”