Christmas comes early for Wanganui with award

CHRISTMAS BEST: Wanganui Greyhound Racing Club's Erin Woods and Lana Trass with the WOW Factor prize for having put on the best Christmas at the Races function last year. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

It was smiles all around for the Wanganui Greyhound Racing Club as the little group out of Hatrick Raceway was judged as having put on the best Christmas at the Races for 2015 at the NZ Racing Board's WOW Factor awards at the weekend.

Out of all the horse, harness, and greyhound events held at tracks around the country with the Christmas theme - 47 events by 28 clubs in all - the Wanganui Greyhounds were chosen for their extra effort with customers, having put on three events on consecutive Fridays last December.

Returning from the ceremony at Trentham Racecourse yesterday, racing club manager Erin Woods said it was the first time a greyhound track has received the board's prize.

It was also impressive for a small centre to be recognised compared with the big Christmas races in Auckland and Wellington.

"We were quite successful. It's absolutely huge," Woods said. "The [board] events team go to every event, they nominate the top four. They nominate on who excelled or who over achieved."

At the awards dinner, which culminates in a two-day workshop to kick off the 2016 Christmas at the Races season, club representatives vote on the four nominees, after each has given a five-minute rundown about how their event exceeded customer expectations.

"Horse people don't tend to regard the dogs very highly, and we won by a landslide, so that's quite special," Woods said.

Geraldine Trotting Club was named reserve champion.

Woods and the club's events and hospitality manager Lana Trass accepted the award.

Wanganui Greyhounds Club is planning no less than five Christmas parties this season and inquiries over hospitality packages can be made now.

The club follows in the footsteps of the Wanganui Jockey Club, who in 2010 won the category of Best Adult Entertainment.