Numbers were down but spirits were high at Sunday’s 2018 Great Western Cup.
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Extreme heat saw a lower attendance compared to previous years but the the day was well received by those that attended.
Great Western Racing Club vice chairman and assistant track manager Michael Barry said he was pleased with how the day turned out given the extreme heat.
“The weather was hot but we got all the races done which was pleasing,” he said.
“The people who turned up had a good time, the band was fantastic and the whole weekend was well received.”
Despite the warm conditions the track helped up strongly, drawing compliments as to how well it raced.
“Terry O’Sullivan said he couldn’t believe how good the track was,” Barry said.
“We even got an offer from Darren Weir for him to gallop some of his horses at our track which is a great honour.”
The Australia Day long weekend was jam-packed for Great Western, with multiple community events going ahead including the show and shine street party as well as a twilight cinema at Seppelt Wines on Saturday.
Barry said the Cup is crucial to drawing attention to Great Western.
“It is huge to us as a town – everyone gets behind it,” he said.
“It was a great first effort for us to have the Cup on the long weekend and hopefully we can build on it next year and the year after.
“Having the Cup on at the same time as everything else going on in the town on the same weekend will hopefully draw more people in and create a great atmosphere in Great Western.”
