Inside Racing: Nick Rule to stand down as Warrnambool racing club chairman

Chairman Nick Rule, who has been in the role for four years, has indicated he'll stand down following the AGM but will put his hand up to remain on the committee.

Rule and other sitting committee members Dallas Ludeman and Kate McLaren-Ryan are seeking re-election, while long-serving committeeman Peter Lynch will stand down after 21 years on the committee in October.

Major changes have occurred under Rule's four-year tenure as chairman, including administration, a $5.8 million upgrade of the Matilda Room and spending more than $1 million to improve on-course training facilities at the course.

Rule said the club was growing and looking at exciting times.

"The four years have gone quickly and there have been some major developments in that time," Rule said.

"It's time for some fresh blood and ideas in the chairman's role. I've enjoyed my time as chairman.

"It'll be up to the committee to elect the new chairman in October. I'll be putting my hand back up to stay on the committee so will Dallas and Kate.

"Peter Lynch has decided to stand down. He's been a loyal servant of the club for many years. It looks like we'll have an election for the committee, which is really healthy.

"I urge any member to consider putting their hand up for a committee position. The club is in a strong position going forward. We've got over 2000 members, which is a record.

"It's an exciting time to be involved with the club as we have more projects on the drawing board, including having multiple group one winning trainer Tom Dabernig joining our training ranks."

Warrnambool hosts its big Thackeray Steeplechase and Lafferty Hurdle race meeting on Sunday.

CHAMPION jumps jockey Steven Pateman added more achievements to his illustrious career in racing at Casterton last Sunday.

Pateman, who holds a dual jumps jockey-trainers license, rode Brungle Bertie to victory in a maiden hurdle and Arktika Klasse to win a highweight flat race, while he trained Historic, Mapping and Laylite to fill the the first three placings in the open steeplechase.

"It was a great day," Pateman said. "I've got to give a lot of credit to my wife Jess and the stable staff.

"Historic has always shown us some ability. He ran second in a steeplechase at Murray Bridge last Wednesday and we took the blinkers off for Sunday and that seemed to work. I think Historic may measure up to a race like the Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank next Easter."

Pateman looks likely to have a full book of rides at Warrnambool's big jumps meeting on Sunday.

COLERAINE has been chosen as one of 30 destinations across Australia that will celebrate having the Melbourne Cup trophy in its town.

The $275,000 iconic trophy heads to Coleraine on July 13 before travelling far and wide across Australia.

The Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour also includes a number of popular Australian race meetings during its four-month journey, including venturing north to Darwin for its annual Darwin Cup race meet as well as visiting Broome for its cup in August.

Once again, there will be a Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep, which provides 24 regional cup tour destinations across Australia the opportunity to be allocated a barrier for the 2021 Melbourne Cup.

The town which draws the barrier of the Melbourne Cup-winning horse will be presented with a cash prize of $50,000 to be put towards a nominated charity for a local community initiative.

Since the tour began in 2003, the Melbourne Cup trophy has become one of the most recognised sporting trophies in the world and, as part of its tour, has travelled more than 750,000 kilometres and visited more than 530 regional, rural and metropolitan destinations. This year's tour kicks off at Port Augusta on Saturday.

JUMPS jockey Nathan Newton was $500 lighter in the pocket following his winning ride on Kapuziner in a maiden hurdle at Casterton on Sunday. Stewards found Newton used his whip on two consecutive occasions near the 50-metre mark and three consecutive occasions over the concluding stages. Newton was fined $500. Stewards took into account his guilty plea and good riding record. Newton later in the day pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge after his ride on Mighty Jim in a high-weight flat race. Newton was outed for four highweight-jumps races.

A strong supplementary catalogue of 53 lots - including weanling by some of Australia's most exciting stallions, as well as black type performed mares and mares carrying desirable pregnancies, have been confirmed for the Great Southern Sale staged by Inglis. The Great Southern Sale, which will be held this Sunday, and Monday has a supplementary catalogue including weanlings by high profile sires such as Capitalist, Exceed And Excel, Deep Field and So You Think. Weanlings by 109 individual stallions are catalogued for sale. Their sires include Written Tycoon, Street Boss, Zoustar and Brazen Beau. With recent graduates such as group 1 winners Gytrash, Behemoth and Montefilia, the Great Southern Sale continues to assert itself as one of the leading breeding stock sales in the country.

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