Changes to Great Southern racing season with Mt Barker to hold just two meetings, Albany allocated 18 dates

In a major shift to the Great Southern racing calendar, Mt Barker Turf Club will hold just two meetings in the 2024-25 season. Mt Barker’s Frost Park venue is usually allocated six of the 20 meetings set down for the Great Southern but the club has been plagued by track woes in recent years. The region’s new racing season is set to kick off in Albany on Saturday — one of 18 meetings that was fixtured for Percy Spencer Racecourse. However the first of those was cancelled a fortnight ago due to track issues of their own and the meeting moved to Narrogin instead. Albany Racing Club will officially kick off the new local season in a primetime Saturday slot, with significantly boosted coverage of the seven-race card. The meeting, which will be run alongside day one of Ascot’s summer carnival The Pinnacles, will have all races aired live and free on 7plus while from 3.20pm there will also be Racing.com television coverage. Mt Barker Turf Club’s reduction to two meetings was a decision made on recent track issues and meeting cancellations, according to Racing WA chief racing officer David Hunter. “Due to ongoing track issues that resulted in multiple race meeting cancellations, along with the club’s close proximity to Albany, a decision was made to reduce the number of race meetings at Mt Barker and expand Albany’s racing season,” Hunter said. “Mt Barker will still hold two community race meetings per season, including their popular Grapes and Gallops event.” The Grapes and Gallops meeting featuring the Mt Barker Sprint will be held on Sunday, January 19 and that will be followed by the Mt Barker Cup on Sunday, February 9. Albany has two Saturday meetings in the calendar while the major social event the Boxing Day Races falls on a Thursday. The second edition of the highly successful slot race The Bluff Knoll is set down for Sunday, March 16. Other Albany feature races on the calendar will be the Fitzpatrick Plate (January 5), Albany Cup (April 20) and Jericho Cup Qualifier (April 27). Albany’s busy season starts with two meetings in November and wraps up on a Friday with the final race day scheduled for May 16. Great Southern Racing Dates 2024-25 Albany – Saturday, November 16 Albany – Thursday, November 28 Albany – Thursday, December 5 Albany – Thursday, December 12 Albany – Thursday, December 26 Albany – Sunday, January 5 (Fitzpatrick Plate) Albany – Saturday January 11 Mt Barker – Sunday, January 19 (Mt Barker Sprint) Albany – Friday, January 31 Mt Barker – Sunday, February 9 (Mt Barker Cup) Albany – Friday, February 21 Albany – Friday, February 28 Albany – Sunday, March 16 (The Bluff Knoll) Albany – Thursday, March 27 Albany – Friday, April 4 Albany – Sunday, April 20 (Albany Cup) Albany – Sunday, April 27 (Jericho Cup Qualifier) Albany – Thursday, May 8 Albany – Friday, May 16