Club Spotlight: Noorama

By Jordan Gerrans

On the dirt track at Noorama Picnic Race Club, circumstances can shift abruptly.

It was only a few race days ago at the Downs club that the races need to be called off because the track was so hard it was starting to crack and it was deemed unsafe for jockeys and horses.

That was due to the extreme drought that the area around Noorama had received over the best part of five years before the 2018 race day.

Leading into their 2021 fixture, the Noorama committee are a little worried that their track has received too much rain in recent months to race on.

Being a volunteer-led committee who keep the racetrack in the best condition it can be, big weather swings like that can make it difficult.

As the rain has slowed in recent days, they are hopeful this Saturday’s five event non-TAB program will proceed, but the lighter side of situation was not lost on club secretary Andrea McKenzie.

“It is ironic this year that three years ago almost to the day we were pulled up from racing on the day of our races because the track was too dry and there were these big cracks that kept opening up in the track,” McKenzie said.

“In 2018, we had been in drought for five years and we just couldn’t get it up to the standard, it was too dry and could not stop the cracks from opening up.

“It is strange that we are now battling time because it is too wet, leading in to our 2021 race day.

“The extremes of managing a dirt track out here, a lot of thought and management goes into it.

“We have got the facilities to a stage now that we don’t have to do as much in the working bees leading up to the race days.”

At the Noorama station, there are no permanent trainers, jockeys or horses based there.

Noorama itself is not a town, just a station, with the racetrack based there, and tennis courts in the same area.

Much of the committee for the Noorama Picnic Race Club live between 45 minutes and an hour from the race track itself, with the closest being around 20 minutes away.

With no stables on-course, the closest training facility is at Cunnamulla, with horses expected to come from across the border in NSW, from Dubbo and Bourke and surrounding areas, for Saturday’s races.

Veteran Cunnamulla trainer Tom Webb praised Noorama as a racing facility.

“They have got about a 400-500m straight and it is a really good track for racing," Webb said.

“I won a fair few race there in the days when I was training.

“It is similar to the Cunnamulla track on the dirt.”

For McKenzie, being on the club’s committee has been a learning experience.

The veterinarian by trade moved to the area some time ago, with her husband’s family long involved in the racing industry in the Downs region.

Suddenly, with the previous secretary of the committee opting to stand down after a lengthy spell in the role, McKenzie found herself in a new gig after a few years attending the Noorama races and enjoying the experience.

“I have really enjoyed learning more about the racing industry,” McKenzie said.

“It has been interesting learning all the ropes.”

One of the unique features of the Noorama racetrack is that the horses race anti-clockwise and it is one of only four left-handed tracks in Queensland.

As Webb says, they go like they are in Melbourne.

While there are no licensed trainers around Noorama these days, McKenzie noted there are plenty of racing stalwarts, some who had to give up or move on their horses over the years following the drought.

“The club has gone through waves; when the club first started, almost every property out here had a racehorse or two of their own,” McKenzie said.

“In the past, a lot more of the committee has been quite into their racing, where nowadays, we have a few new members who are into their racing in NSW.

“Hopefully we can get a few more racing people into it because right now there is a lot of people who are in it for the community and having a good time at the races.”

All the communities around Noorama are hanging out for this weekend's race meeting as they missed their beloved Cup day in 2020 due to pandemic-led restrictions on gatherings.

According to McKenzie, the racetrack itself and amenities around the club have all received significant upgrades over the last five years.

Grants have helped the race club become a multi-purpose facility for other community groups, including becoming a playgroup for local children and hosting lunches as well as generally being more of a social hub for the entire community.

The feature event for this Saturday’s program is the $12,000 Noorama Cup Open Handicap, which will be run over 1200 metres.

Experienced horseman Webb is unlikely to have a starter in his own name for the big Cup, after being on the sidelines from the training ranks for a few years as he has battled illness.

He has held onto his training licence, however, in case he wants to eventually wants to get back into the game.

But that has not stopped him owning gallopers, with Webb having a few horses with Miles trainer Norma King.

He owns half of the King-trained Silent Flyer, who ran a decent race at Mackay just last week.

Silent Flyer has 11 wins to his name from 64 career starts.

Webb is hopeful the seven-year-old gelding makes the trip to Noorama this weekend, but declared it is King’s call as to the horse’s final plans.

As many as 32 horses have been nominated for Saturday's meeting across the five races, with the nominations period extended to hopefully lift the numbers in each race. 

Club spotlight will be a regular feature that shines a light on the unique and individual racing clubs across Queensland.