Off the Track & Melbourne Cup Tour to visit Local Primary School
4 August, 2016
Off The Track
Racing and Wagering Western Australia’s (RWWA) Off the Track program, in conjunction with the Victoria Racing Club’s (VRC) 2016 Emirates Melbourne Cup Tour, will pay a visit to the Alkimos Primary School, on Wednesday 10 August.
The Melbourne Cup Tour, which runs from 8-13 August, will see the $175,000 18-carat gold trophy travel to destinations within Perth, Bunbury and Broome.
Among these successful destinations is Alkimos Primary School, which was selected for the Tour based on its’ passion for racing, historical links to the Melbourne Cup and dedication to the community.
Off the Track, a program dedicated to retired West Australian thoroughbreds and standardbreds, will also be part of the tour featuring former stars, Scenic Shot, who competed in the 2007 Melbourne Cup and WA Hall of Fame Inductee, Scenic Blast.
Scenic Blast won three Group One races including the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in England and was crowned Australian Horse of the Year in 2009.
Scenic Shot bowed out of racing with a glittering record of 74 starts for 17 wins and just over $3 million in stake earnings.
Principal of Alkimos Primary School and also part-time RWWA Steward, Andrew Gorton, said they were very excited to have the Melbourne Cup Tour and Off the Track visit their school.
“The majority of students at our school have never seen a horse in the flesh, let alone a racehorse and Melbourne Cup runner,” said Mr Gorton.
“The opportunity for students to learn about the life of a racehorse and the opportunities available to them post racing is a great thing. We are all very excited about the Melbourne Cup Tour and having Off the Track, Scenic Blast and Scenic Shot at our school in person.”
Each classroom will receive a visit from an Off the Track representative where they will be given a presentation and video regarding the program, as well as memorabilia of Scenic Shot and Scenic Blast. Each student will also receive an Off the Track show bag, which will include merchandise and a Scenic Blast book.
Former jockey and current RWWA Riding Master, Jeremey Hustwitt, will also be paying a visit to the school to talk to students about his experiences of riding Beaux Art in the 1996 Melbourne Cup