The Yass Picnic Race Club declared the 2017 Picnic Races the most successful so far, with 50 runners across all six races, which is double the number in 2016.
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Club secretary George Henderson said a couple of changes contributed to the increase number not only in entries but also in attendees. “The 50 runners this year was mainly due to the jockey bonuses and increased prize monies,” he said. “After a few washouts and a few years of race cancellations in the past, it’s great for us in the last couple of years to regain that momentum.”
Jockey Billy Owen and and four-year-old Chestnut Mare Kinda Tangy took out the 1400-metre Yass Picnic Cup ahead of nine other runners. The trainer was Neil Osborne from Canberra. Billy Owen also secured first placing in the 1200-metre Maiden Plate, riding the five-year-old Brown Mare Baroness Snow that is trained by Kylie Kennedy.
As well, total bookmakers were 11. Emma Merriman, club committee member, said that is one more than the Black Opal Stakes in Canberra. “Numbers were definitely up. Horses and trainer numbers were all up compared with last year. Full fields. We had 11 bookmakers. Someone told me on Saturday that we were bigger than the Black Opal, which had only 10,” she said.
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