Top day at the races to remember Duck

WHILE the weather wasn’t kind, the atmosphere was warm and full of life at the Woolamai and District Racing Club’s end of year celebration races on Saturday, December 2.

And there was much to celebrate, with a strong crowd despite the incessant rain with the club also paying tribute to one of their long-time stalwarts, Don Matheson, who passed away earlier this year.

One of the races was even named in his honour to recognise his vital contribution of more than 50 years.

Don, or ‘Duck’ as he was commonly known as, was a deeply valued committee member who always kept a close eye on the track and its condition.

It was noted that there were very few days he didn’t pop in to make sure everything was in order.

He held the position of president of the Woolamai Recreation Reserve, and made significant contributions to the wider community. 

Don also held numerous roles in the racing industry, starting out as a barrier attendant before becoming a race day judge.

This would see him cover meetings in the south eastern and Port Phillip Districts. 

In 2011, Don was recognised by Racing Victoria for his 30 years of service.

Crowds turn out

Woolamai and District Racing Club’s vice president Bruce Spiden said while the races would have been much busier if the rain had held off, bookings still sold out.

“We were lucky we’re in an area that hasn’t rained much,” he said.

“The tracks been fantastic, it’s a credit to the guys who maintain it.

“We probably would have had double the crowd with people coming through (the area), but I’m surprised we got as many we have.”

Spiden highlighted there were plenty of great races and events coming up at the club.

“These days we don’t get too many smaller meetings, they are around 2000 plus, but when you get that crowd here, it feels like 5000, the atmosphere is great,” he said.

He noted while there were a few hiccups on the day, including a malfunction with the PA, everything went smoothly in the end.

The club has also been busy undertaking various upgrades.

“We put in a new sprinkler system which has made it so much easier to control the track,” he said.

Good to be back

For Ben Sporle, it was great to be back at Woolamai calling the races for the day and reliving old memories.

“I used to get down here in the early days, I started off about 12 years ago, and got down here while Adam Olszanski was still doing it (calling) then,” he said.

“But then he took over the secretary duties and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Sporle highlighted he loves calling at Woolamai out of the many tracks he covers.

“I do Woolamai, Balnarring, Yea, Alexandra, across six to eight tracks, it’s a busy time of the year,” he said.

When asked how he keeps up with the race, he described it like ‘cramming everything in for an exam last minute’.

“When the jockeys come out of the rooms and go to the yard and then barriers, you just don’t take your eyes off them,” he said.