By DAVID NAGEL
THE Pakenham Racing Club bid its final farewell to its old track on Racecourse Road on the weekend to bring down the curtain on more than a century of racing.
The PRC will now focus its attention on a bright new future at Tynong where the club is developing a 608-acre site into a state-of-the-art facility.
Training will start at the new track in the next few months before racing takes centre stage in March of next year.
Celebrations finally came to an end for the PRC, after a monster two weeks for the club, with the final running of the Pakenham Cup on Sunday 9 February, followed by a transferred meeting from Sale on Friday, before the Pakenham Trainers Association let down its hair with a final fling for more than 200 people on Saturday night.
All three events were memorable in their own right, with local trainer Cameron Templeton starting proceedings by taking home the final cup with his extravagantly named gelding Captain Fancypantz in front of a huge and enthusiastic crowd.
Friday’s final meeting at the track concluded with the grand-daughter of legendary trainer Jim Houlahan, Amy Johnston, taking out the final ever race, in the colours of her grand-father, with her improving gelding Artie Royale.
And Saturday night ticked all the boxes for a fitting farewell, with the past, present and future of the club all in attendance to say their goodbyes.
PTA president and long-time Pakenham trainer John Gunning summed up the feeling in the crowd.
“What a great way to send off the old course, with so many familiar faces here who have contributed so much to this great old track,” Mr Gunning said.
“It’s a sad day in so many ways but we have to look forward and there are such exciting times ahead at Tynong.”
Property Developer ISPT purchased the current facility on Racecourse Road and will begin development over the coming weeks.
