MORVEN has secured an extra race for its annual race meeting today (Saturday) in the wake of last week’s debacle at Surat.
“We got gifted one (race) after Surat got called off,” explained an excited Willie Drenan, president of the Morven Race Club, as heard on 4RR-FM’s Local News yesterday from 6am before posing for a photograph on the track several hours later as fellow club volunteers made their final checks.
Drenan reported 65 acceptances – in stark contrast to very skinny fields last Saturday at Bedourie where just four jockeys lined up for the first four races.
“It will be a big day. I got mates coming from Gladstone. They’re coming from all over the place. Plenty of horses, plenty of jockeys, so we should be having a good day’s racing,” he said whilst talking up the now $100,000 in prizemoney on offer for the bumper seven-race program.
As for the condition of the Morven track, of more interest than normal after a failed inspection at Surat, Drenan reckons he could not be happier.
“Track’s Mickey Mouse. Had a bloke turn up from Racing Queensland. He’s had a look at it and couldn’t fault it one little bit. Immaculate he reckons,” he said.
The feature race is the penultimate event on the card, the Curley Cattle Transport Charlie Gallagher Memorial Morven Cup (1400m).
At last report, there had been three scratchings, leaving only a field of five including Charleville-trained Betoota Cup winner Deciduous.
The first race at Morven is timed to go at the earlier than usual time of 12.40pm with the Cup itself scheduled for 3.20pm.
There’s also a big day of racing coming up south of the QLD/NSW border at tiny Enngonia, about 100 kilometres from Bourke.
They have six races on the card, carrying $77,000 in prizemoney, with the final event being the Dunk Insurance Enngonia Cup (1400m).
Off the track, for the Enngonia Race Club’s 77th annual meeting, there is $2000 in cash and prizes for fashions on the field.
PHOTO: Morven Race Club president Willie Drenan checks out the track in the lead-up to the Morven Cup meeting today (Saturday).
POSTED: Saturday, September 19, 2026