Big crowds, good course takings, outstanding track condition and excellent weather set the scene for some of the best results the Dargaville Racing Club has seen for years.
Club secretary Brian Campbell said the spring meeting on Wednesday had attracted probably the biggest crowd the club had seen for a while and although actual spectator numbers were not known the on and off course takings were excellent.
The off-course turnover was $1,026,225 - which was better than the previous three meetings - and the on-course takings were $168,321.
A total prize stake of $81,000 was available - up $5000 on previous meetings.
A new course race time record of 56.98 seconds for 1000m race was set by Watch the Tote trained by Ralph Manning, of Cambridge.
Presentations were made to former club president Dick Stevenson and to long-standing committee member Gus Gillespie.
Mr Stevenson had been involved with the Dargaville Racing Club for the past 26 years - the last five as president. He has been succeeded by Lyn Harvey of Otamatea.
Mr Gillespie, 67, said he had been involved with the club for more than 40 years and had been on the committee for at least 25 years. "I remember being involved in the club with my family back when I was 14 years old," he said.
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