Jockey Club president Don Bartlett was delighted with the ‘Party Day’ promotion. 

“It was a big day, and we were grateful to the organisations and sponsors that lent us marquees and equipment so we could provide a venue for groups to have a day out,” Bartlett said.

“Our secretary Leanne Brown has done a great job organising the various groups and packages, and we have had some great feedback to make sure we do it again next year, but only better. 

“Next year Leanne has guaranteed she will organise cooler weather.”

A racing highlight on the day was the Diggers Cup, won by Jedak for trainer Jane Clement and owner Pip Lyne.

Clement is now the leading the trainer’s premiership at Inverell, and Jedak’s win (the fourth from its last six runs) looks an ideal qualifier for the $30,000 Inverell Cup on New Year’s Day over the same course and distance.

Lyne lived in Inverell before establishing his travel business in Tamworth. The red and blue silks worn by Jedak’s jockey apprentice, Melinda Graham, have been carried by many winners in previous generations of the Lyne family.

Clement and Lyne combined to win the 2014 Inverell Cup with Wolfgang’s Boy.

Jedak’s win had added merit as it was checked early in the race by Dormello, and then raced to a five length lead in the middle stages, before being challenged by Been Awakened and looked beaten in the straight. Graham did not panic and she rode hands and heels to get Jedak to win clearly on the line.

The win gave Graham a double. She also won on the John McLachlan trained Modest Option in the Australian Hotel Handicap. She now has a strike rate of 15 wins from only 88 rides since starting her apprenticeship.

McLachlan was excited by the win because Modest Option also won the same meeting last year. Horse, and trainer will try for a repeat of last year, when Modest Option hit form and won two in a row. 

Apprentice jockeys dominated with Kasie Furness winning the Inverell 4WD Centre Maiden on Blinkin Rockin, Adam Sewell won the McNeil’s Equipment Handicap on Espionage and Jodi Worley cleaning up in the Laser Plumbing Maiden Plate on Paddy Cunningham’s Lydiard.

Worley did well in difficult circumstances as Lydiard broke away from its handler both before and after the race without causing any injury. The heat may have extended to the jockeys room as stewards fined senior riders Ben Looker and Darren Jones after a physical confrontation after the running of race three.

With the success of the Party Day the Jockey Club has already started preparations for the biggest crowd of the year on Boxing Day with a ‘Reunion’ Day theme.