Pink reigns supreme at Shepparton

Pink was the color of the day at Shepparton Harness Racing Club on Sunday (May 7) with nine of the eleven winners at the Pacing for Pink fundraiser showpiece carrying the signature pink pants.

It might be a cliché to say, but Victorian Harness Racing’s massive annual fundraiser for breast care nurses just keeps growing every year.

Aside from country cups, Pink Day at Shepparton is growing into one of the sport’s most successful and popular regional meetings, and makes a huge financial contribution to the Australia-wide Pacing for Pink fundraiser for the McGrath Foundation.

The campaign across the country raised $140,000 last year, and organisers are confident they’ll reach that tally again this year – or better.

An amazing 218 drivers across Australia have sponsors for the month, and are donning the pink pants (up from 180 last year) and the number of sponsors on board for Pink Day at Shepparton is evidence of the support growing year-on-year.

“The support today and right through the Pacing for Pink month has been amazing – we are so thrilled and proud,” said coordinator Marg Watson.

“We’ve raised $320,000 since it started at Cobram in 2011 and we began in a very small way.  But since it’s gone national two years ago it’s just gone from strength to strength.”

Money raised is in support of the McGrath Breast Care Nurses who are registered nurses specially trained to manage the care of people with breast cancer, and support patients and their families throughout their treatment.

The highlight of Pink Day at Shepparton on Sunday (May 6) was the inaugural running of the Olive Hayes Memorial for Lady Drivers (formerly the Angelique Club Pace), won by the Kate Hargreaves-trained three-year-old Ludacrous (Art Major).

The nine winners in pink pants on the day were: Music Moth (A Rocknroll Dance), Damian Wilson; Majestic Tooth (Majestic Son), Abbey Turnbull; Mayor of Elwood (Modern Art), Greg Sugars; Mitzi Said (Well Said), Monique Burnett; Ourmatemenko (Downbytheseaside), Abby Sanderson; Ludacrous (Art Major), Lisa Miles; Im Harvey Specter (Art Major) Mikayla Towers; Beau Bronski (Major Bronski), Alex Ashwood; and Im The Mightygramps (Western Terror), Rita Burnett.

In NSW, Club Menangle will host the second edition of Pacing for Pink Night Tea at its meeting on May 30.

For complete Shepparton results, click here.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink