The Clarence River Jockey Club at Grafton was founded in the same year that the first Melbourne Cup was held, and has grown over the years to become one of Australia’s most important country race clubs, and the host of one of the major annual race carnivals outside the metropolitan areas.
Grafton in July each year will give people a great experience of all that is exciting and thrilling in one of the greatest country race days. One can enjoy the country atmosphere, and maybe even bet on a winner. One of the lucrative races being run during the carnival week is the Crowe Horwath Ramornie Handicap, known as the Ramornie Cup, which is run over a distance of 1200 metres, and has prize money of 150,000 dollars. The next edition of this race will be run on 13 July 2016. During the carnival week, the country’s major sprint race, the Ramornie Handicap, is always run one day before the Grafton Cup.
City of Grafton is Jacaranda City
The city of Grafton is the seat of local government, Federal and State administrative centre, and the commercial hub of the Clarence River Valley. Established in 1851, Grafton is a lovely town situated in New South Wales, about 630 kilometres north of Sydney. It is only about 35 kilometres away from the Pacific Ocean coast. The Clarence River is the boundary between the Bundjalung and the Gumbainggir peoples, so descendants of both groups can be found in the Grafton region.
Grafton, like many other settlements in the area, were first opened up by the cedar getters. Word of the wealth of the cedar getters spread quickly, and the embryonic Grafton was established in 1831. The name of Grafton came from the grandfather of the Governor of the time, and was proclaimed a city in 1885. Today local industries include logging, beef cattle, fishing and sugar. Grafton is also known as the Jacaranda City, and holds a Jacaranda Festival each October or November. A half day public holiday is observed each year on the second Thursday of July, which is the day the Grafton Cup race is held. This race is the highlight of the city’s annual Racing Carnival. Another of the important races is the Ramornie Handicap.
Horse Races can be Exciting
Many horse races today are global sporting events, and have television coverage in every country. Races like the Melbourne Cup are household names, and nearly every punter in the country has a bet on it, and people all over the world watch eagerly to see who wins. The smaller races also generate a huge amount of interest and money, and a huge number of bets that punters place on it.
There are different types of horse races. There are maiden races, handicap races and stakes races, which are run by the better horses and have the biggest purses. Betting on these races or acquiring Australian horse racing tips can be done online, as that is the easiest and the most convenient way of doing it, all without moving from one’s own home. Another of the reasons for online betting becoming so successful, is the fact that reputable sports books are now safe and secure, and offer excellent customer service. Some of the sports books also offer valuable tips and data on the form of the horses, such as Grafton’s Ramornie Handicap which will help the punter with the choice of a bet.