The sleepy little town of Garah, around 50km from Moree and boasting a population of just 300, will awaken with a bang on Saturday when thousands of racegoers stream into the hamlet.
Each year Talmoi picnic races are held in Garah, and they attract bus and car loads from nearby and far for a fantastic day out.
The popular Talmoi picnics always attracts a sizeable crowd. Image by Mark Brassel
Talmoi Amateur Picnic Race Club’s secretary, Sophie O’Neill said the race meeting is always popular with families for a picnic lunch and a great day of country racing.
“The Club was established in 1911 so we have a lot of history, and we would have to be one of the oldest Race Clubs in the area,” she said.
“We are a small community, and our main goal is to put on a successful raceday that brings people to our local community so they can experience our little town.
“We hope that people will spend some money Garah while they are here and best-case scenario, they love it so much that they want to get a job around the area and stay.
“We get the community involved with the local Garah Primary School P&C and Garah/Boomi Pre-School cooking throughout the day with their food available for purchase.
“We try to keep things local so we can get as much money as possible going back to our area.
“We wouldn’t be able to make the raceday possible without the generous support of our sponsors, so we would like to thank each and every one of them.”
O’Neill added that the Race Club has a vast array of functions and entertainment lined up on raceday.
“There is a President’s Luncheon with food by Relish Catering with tickets available for pre-purchase.
“And there is a Fashions on the Field along with face painting, a jumping castle and a sandpit for the kids. It all makes it a great family day out.
“There is a big screen to watch the races, a bar and live entertainment while picnic hampers are welcomed. Entry tickets are available for purchase at the gate or online and we will now have an Eftpos machine.”
The Club has a bus departing Moree at midday and returning at 6pm and 9pm.
Talmoi picnics is the third and final leg of the popular Golden Triangle Series in western NSW.
Moree kicked off the Series on May 27 followed by Mallawa on June 10 with Talmoi wrapping up the Series.
Meanwhile, Tamworth will stage a Racing NSW Country Showcase meeting the day before on Friday with $255,000 in prizemoney on offer.
– Racing NSW
