Current News

2010 Cairns Amateurs

Fellow Members,

Welcome to the start of the countdown for the 2010 Cairns Amateurs.
Firstly, I would like to thank the Committee for the effort they put in to the success of last years Carnival. We started the year wanting to freshen up events and improve service levels. From the feedback we received this generally happened. In particular we were pleased with the response to the following:

  • The Presidents Cocktails Party held around the Pool Deck at the Pullman Reef Casino
  • The Amateurs Ball
  • Moving the AGM to the Fosters area
  • Spruced up Members Area

Three new Committee members have been appointed. I believe Gary Riches would be the second Committee member to also serve on the Cairns Jockey Club Committee and will bring a wealth of experience of Cannon Park. Gary is also involved in Mt Garnet, Gordonvale and Laura race Committees. David Hall will manage the Fashions on the Field, Garden Party and Ladies Fashion High Tea, the 3 Day Fashion Hub.

David owns the Overflow stores in this area. His keen business acumen and sharp eye for fashion will ensure a fashionably good party. Fleur Warner has recently returned to Cairns and will look after our marketing, an increasingly important role. Fleur is a director of Grunt Media, a new mum and has strong media ties to the community.

We have appointed Graham Thornton as Chief Executive Officer. Graham will be in charge of event management and our relationships with sponsors, corporate supporters, suppliers and members. Graham has been involved in running events for the past 18 years. In order to make the Cairns Amateurs more relevant and professional, the Committee consider Graham’s appointment to be critical in ensuring our success. The time constraints on the Committee members have led to Rosie Douglas, Vicky Luppi and Ellen Hastie stepping down from the Committee. I would like to thank them on your behalf for the effort they have made. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance provided by Bill Calderwood. Kelli Berghofer continues as Racing Secretary. Kelli will be having a break between April and July for the birth of her first child. Congratulations to Kelli and Aron.

While we made every effort to ensure 2009 was a success, we acknowledge there is room for improvement in areas such as:

  • Seating at the Amateurs Ball – For the first time Members will be able to obtain reserved seating.
  • Members Area – We will be expanding the shade cloth over the area close to the track which was in the sun last year.
  • We are making some exciting changes to the member’s area which will include trackside dining options and a powder room for the ladies.
  • A Members Car Parking area will be provided.

There are also the following major exciting changes:

This year for the first time we will be moving to an online booking system with Tickets.com , enabling you to book all of our events and membership online. As an incentive for online bookings you will go into the draw to win a 7 night Barrier Reef Cruise from Coral Princess Cruises. Bookings can be made through our website www.cairnsamateurs.org.au and an email link will be sent to all members for the first opportunity to book tickets for events (please update us with your email address) We encourage all members to take advantage of this service and secure your desired seating, if you do not have access to the internet, please call us and we will assist you in the booking process.
The Fashions on the Field will be preliminary judged from 11.00 – 12.15pm. Finalists will be judged between 1.00pm and 2pm. Registration will be free and available online for the first time. We have added a new category, Emerging Designer. This category is open to any age person without commercial experience.

The Ladies Fashion High Tea on Thursday will be held in the Garden Party Area at Cannon Park from 9.30am- 12.00pm, Return transfers will be available from the city. Feedback about the annual ladies event has been mixed and varied widely from down-sizing the function to a morning tea to upgrade to more upmarket. So we have decided to utilize the catwalks and 1000sqm marquee that will already be in place at the Track for the Garden Party and Fashions on the Field. This will provide complete shade, in style and it will be weather-proof! We have confirmed a designer from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, a Millinery Collection from Sydney and another exciting new parade, TAFE Fashion students. These students will be showcasing their collections as part of their course curriculum in 2010. We can also confirm there will be some fabulous lucky door prizes. 7 nights for 2 at Camp Eden Health retreat on the Gold Coast worth over $9 000 is just one of the prizes. Thanks to our newest program partner “The Boland Centre”

The Garden Party too will undergo a change. With more entertainment and a tighter schedule, we are aiming to provide a table serviced experience for up to 600 each day. The marquee is in response to the feedback we gained from attendees of last year’s experience, as is the extra entertainment consisting of fashion and hair parades and live entertainment. We are also providing up to 75sqm of public access so that the excitement of this event can be shared by all.

For all the positive feedback from last year the reality is we lost money. This is mainly a numbers issue with attendances down at the racetrack, Amateurs Ball, Corporate Area Marquees and Picnic in the Park.

We have calculated we need 2000 more to attend races, 200 more at the Ball and 2 more corporate marquees and are working on strategies to achieve this.
Our primary strategy is to increase the number of members which has dropped to 750 from 950. From what we understand, some of the drop in numbers was due to older Members that held on for the 50th year. The other reason was resistance to the Member fees.

While we believe the existing member fees are good value, we consider the joining fee is too high, particularly for prospective younger members. We are going to implement the following:

  • The Members annual fee will increase roughly in line with inflation
  • The joining fee will drop from $275 to $176
  • Previous members can rejoin without incurring another joining fee

The only reason Cairns Amateurs has continued this year is due to the support from local businesses (which is noted on our website) and our major suppliers such as Underwood’s Party Hire, Ochre Catering, Qld Security Providers and Flexihire. We would like to thank the following businesses for their support to keep this year’s Carnival going BDO, L.J. Hooker Edge Hill, Overflow FNQ, The Cairns Post, Goodman Chartered Accountants, and Herron Todd White.

We know these are tough times but we are also looking for support from our Members. We are asking for a donation of $110 per member so that we can start the year with a surplus. This is not a compulsory levy but your support will underpin the future of our great event.

We will not say “No” to any higher contributions. Any amounts in excess of $500 will be noted on our website if you indicate so.

There will be other announcements as the year progresses. We will again be using the online newsletter for updates as well as a face book.
We understand that our Members feel they own the Amateurs. To keep you fully informed we intend to hold a Members Information meeting on Wednesday 5th of May at 5.30pm at Cannon Park where you can talk to the Committee. For catering purposes please confirm your attendance with the Cairns Amateurs office.

I think the Cairns Amateurs is too important to this region to fail and I am looking forward to your support.
Yours sincerely

Michael Delaney
President
Far North Queensland Amateur Turf Club
“Cairns Amateurs”

2009

The President and Committee are excited about this years Carnival. To get the celebrations started we have a bright new look this year with our new logo. It incorporates the Racing and party atmosphere, while also emphasising the ladies aspect of the Carnival. The committee responsible for running the far north’s biggest racing and social event, the Cairns Amateurs, has taken on a new look with a series of important appointments. The Far North Queensland Amateur Turf Club announced two new executive appointments and four new members on its Amateurs committee, following the retirement of several long-serving directors. The Amateurs has endured a couple of difficult years but we’re confident with our strengthened committee that 2009 will be a fantastic event. We’re working on a host of improvements for the carnival after celebrating its 50th anniversary last year. The Fashion Parade Brunch was such a great success last year we once again have continued this event. Picnic in the Park, one of the traditional favourites of the Cairns Amateurs, is going back to its roots. People that book sites at the 2009 Picnic in the Park will once again be able to bring their own tents and other equipment.

 

The change will ensure a return to the popular party atmosphere for which Picnic in the Park is renowned. The Garden Party is the prettiest location trackside. Fashions on the Field is again held in this location and this will give you prime viewing of the preliminary judging. This year the total prize pool is worth over $50.000.Fashions on the Field and horse racing have become synonymous with each other, and the Cairns Amateurs is no exception.

 

The prize money at the 2009 Carnival will total around $300 000 an offer many top horses are expected to compete at Cannon Park. The feature race on Saturday offers a purse of $50,000 and will no doubt keenly fought out. There will also be Sky Racing coverage on both days of the Carnival which is sure to attract even more attention to the Carnival from around the country. To comply with Queensland Liquor Licensing legislation, the Committee has made the difficult decision to restrict entrance to the two day Carnival to people 18 years and over. This decision allows the Club to operate bar facilities at the Carnival whilst complying with legislation. The Club regrets having to make this step but is faced with no alternative and is following steps made by other Queensland Horse Racing Clubs.

2008

The President and Committee were excited about the 2008 Carnival as celebrations plans were to mark the 50th Carnival. To get the celebrations off to a glittering start, a theme of “GOLD” was been assigned to events surrounding the Carnival and patrons are invited to join in and show that all that glitters really is gold! There are also some new events and changes to some old favourites for 2008.

 

In 2008 the traditional Morning Tea & Fashion Parade held on the Thursday before the Carnival was been combined with the newer Ladies Corporate Lunch to form one large event – the Fashion Parade Brunch. This move is to cater for the increased demand on both functions over the year and will provide all of the elements of both events that have been enjoyed by guests in the past. Many activities have been planned for the event, including a retrospective of fashion over the past 50 years and fashion parades from leading Australian designers.

 

Picnic in the Park has also undergone a makeover for 2008. Patrons can now book a fully constructed shaded Site to entertain their own guests and enjoy the Carnival al fresco. The elements that have always been enjoyed by patrons of the area have been kept whilst the hard work of setting up your own area has been removed, making Picnic in the Park all about fun, not work.

 

This year also sees the status of Life Member awarded to Ron Davis AM for his years of service to the Club on the Committee as Senior Vice President. Mr Davis was awarded this status in May and the President expressed immense appreciation for the years of dedication Mr Davis has shown the Club and Carnival and was delighted to be able to commemorate the occasion in the Carnival’s 50th year.

 

To comply with Queensland Liquor Licensing legislation, the Committee has made the difficult decision to restrict entrance to the two day Carnival to people 18 years and over. This decision allows the Club to operate bar facilities at the Carnival whilst complying with legislation. The Club regrets having to make this step but is faced with no alternative and is following steps made by other Queensland Horse Racing Clubs.

 

This year also sees the implementation of a non-smoking area to the entire licensed area of Cannon Park during the two days of racing. Those patrons wishing to smoke will be directed to exits located around the course and areas outside the licensed zone will be provided. Access back to the course will be by way of pass-out.

 

Prize money at the 2008 Carnival will be at record levels and is anticipated to be in the vicinity of $400,000. There will also be Sky Racing coverage no both days of the Carnival which is sure to attract even more attention to the Carnival from around the country. The feature race, the Carlton Draught Amateur Cup, on Saturday will have a prize purse of $100,000 while two other races each feature $40,000 in prize money. There is also the introduction of a 3 Year Old race aimed at encouraging owners and trainers to enter horses which will turn 3 on August 1st this year and allow for an increased level of competition focused on this age group. This 3YO race is to encourage participation by horses involved in the current 2YO circuit, in Queensland, and will be one of the first major races they can enter as a 3YO. Prizemoney will be $20,000 or $30,000 if the winner is a QTIS horse.

2007

The 2007 Carnival was a testimony to the great support from Sponsors and the Community for the Cairns Amateurs. On the morning of 25 August 2007, we were informed of the outbreak of Equine Influenza (EI) in Queensland and New South Wales and instructions from the thoroughbred racing industry body, Queensland Racing, were that other race meetings scheduled for that day would be cancelled and all racing in the state was suspended until further notice. As the Cairns Amateurs Carnival was only 2 weeks away from this date, the Committee began a series of meetings and contingency plans in the event there would be no horse racing at all this year.

 

The decision was made to go ahead with the Carnival after overwhelming support from our Sponsors and the Cairns community and although there was no horse racing on the Friday of the meeting, over 4000 people attending the race track and were greeted to some of the best fashions on display, a party atmosphere and even a race. The lack of real horses gave the Club the opportunity to resurrect the Shamateur Cup and 5 political candidates for the seat of Leichhardt skittled around the saddling enclosure on the Club’s beer barrel horses that were once used to race through the city streets. The crowd cheered, the pollies steered (badly!) and “Shamateurs” was back! The Club was granted a TAB racing meeting for the Saturday of the Carnival and although attendance was lower than in previous years, over 14,000 people walked through the gates to enjoy a day of racing, fashion, socialising and Spring weather.

 

The President and Committee would like to sincerely thank the Club’s Members, Sponsors and the Community for their support of this great Cairns event and look forward to celebrating the 50th Carnival in 2008.

 

The dates for the 2008 Carnival are set for Friday 12th and Saturday 13th September, with an Owners & Trainers Welcome Function held on Wednesday 10th September and Members Only functions beginning on Thursday 11th September.