The day had a full dance card, with seven races and a final qualification race with trotters and pacers travelling the coast.

“There were three from Casino and one from Grafton,” club secretary Jon Watts said.

“They floated them all the way over just to trial them.”

“We had an excellent day, good crowd, we’re very happy.”

Favourite pacer Gotta Destroyer opened the day with a win in the Blue Gem Contractors three-year-old pace.

It was then a red-letter day for the Wiedemanns, with the Toowoomba stable capturing the motherload of the events.

Toowoomba trainer Lola Wiedemann with sister Julie Wiedemann drove  gelding Ghost Gum, and mares Late Model and Mac Sweet to wins.

Their niece Stacey Wiedemann added to the family pride driving Julie’s Wiedemann-trained gelding The Brazen Jasper, first under the wire with her aunt Lola following right behind with the stable’s Dreamy Nukes. 

Seventeen-year-old Tom Ison of Tamworth drove Inverell trainer Col Hobday’s Little Gonzo to a win.

Seven-year-old pacer No Fixed Address caused a bit of a stir when the gelding recorded a new 1639 metre track record of 2.007 in the Wade Street Meat’s Pace.

Jon said they sold about 150 race books on the day, with an estimated 300 attendees, but there was strong peripheral interest. 

“But there are a lot of cars parked around the track where people just sit and watch them,” he said.

“We’re just happy to see it as a family day and what surprised me is there were people I’d never seen at a harness meeting before.”

“So maybe renewed interest in it,” his wife, club member Robyn Watts said.

She said the sport has a warm place in the hearts of many long-time district locals.

“I’ve had comments made to me, “Oh, we used to love the harness racing at the shows’, well, we offer that twice a year,” she said.

“Come to our meeting, it’s free entry, bring your thermos, bring your big picnic basket, lift the boot of your car up, get your chairs out and have a lovely afternoon.”

The club will hold its second race day, the Carnival of Cups, a TAB meeting, on May 1.