Sport
3 September, 2025
Gulargambone Jockey Club celebrates 100 years of racing at Gold Cup
A crowd of around 600 people attended the 2025 Gulargambone Gold Cup meeting at Gulargambone Racecourse on Saturday, August 30.
Gulargambone Jockey Club (GJC) secretary Marina Colwell said there was quality racing and that people still supported the event considering the maximum temperature was only in the low teens.
“We had a very high standard of racing,” Marina said. “The crowd exceeded our expectations for the day, considering the weather - very happy with the crowd and gate numbers.”
Each race on the six-strong card was worth $12,000. The 2025 Inland Petroleum Gulargambone Cup (1200m) the feature race. Rothgate ($4.60), trained by Brett Robb and ridden by jockey Caine Stuart, was the winner of the Gulargambone Cup from So Country ($2.40 favourite) in second and Starlink ($4.60) in third. People travelled from the coast, major regional cities like Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth and even from Victoria to attend, Marina said.
She added the Gulargambone Rugby Union Club holding their end-of-season presentations, Fashions on the Field and the Gulargambone Preschool also holding a fundraiser and get-together were key points to a good crowd at the 2025 GJC annual meeting.
A calcultta was held on the Friday night where the winner walked away with a reported more than $4000. Prior to the calcultta, the club received $3400 from proceeds in donations from received fundraising items. The GJC recently had to replace its running rail. GJC also marked 100 years of racing at this meeting. The club organised for connections of the winners of each race to be presented with a rug with the 100-year celebration logo on it. Stubby holders were also made to commemorate the special occasion.
“We’d love to acknowledge our sponsors,” Marina said.
“Without them, it makes it very hard to run these events. The winners and prize getters all benefit from that sponsorship.”
The GJC has a relatively stable executive of around 15 people that organise the once-a-year race meeting.
Marina said the committee features a group of ladies that call themselves the ‘Gular Fillies’ that organise all race day promotions and advertising. “The work they put in was just amazing,” she said of the Gular Fillies.
“The men … the work that they do at the showground and the prep for the day … it’s a whole committee effort. Everyone pulls together and we put on a fantastic effort.”
The GJC has been volunteer-run since its early days and remains one of the few small clubs still operating in the region.
Before the meeting, GJC president Tom Gadsby said it is a big achievement for a small community to keep an event like this going for 100 years.
“Racing’s been part of Gulargambone’s history since 1925,” Tom said.
“We’re proud to be putting it on again in 2025.”
