Toowoomba Racing Fraternity Welcomes New Facilities
Welcomes New Facilities Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Peter Taylor helped the Toowoomba Turf Club launch its new betting and function facilities to the public on Saturday.
About 150 dignitaries and club members were invited to the official opening of the Entertainment Auditorium and Neil Mansell Concrete Betting Complex, hosted in the former betting ring turned auditorium at Clifford Park.
The evening was headlined by 2012 Golden Guitar award nominee Rod Williams and featured a dinner and dance.
Mayor Peter Taylor said the redevelopment was a big step for the club and one which boosted the racing industry. “It’s a terrific facility and it will bring a lot of improvement. It’s well situated and gives another great facility to the public that they can hire,” Cr Taylor said. “The Toowoomba racing fraternity is very important in this region and is a big employer.
The update will be appreciated by the fraternity.” Cr Taylor also has a personal connection with the club, reliving fond memories of when he visited as a child. “I remember when I was seven-years-old, coming to the track with my dad and sitting on the grass. My dad had a Weetwood winner here by the name of Falling Leaves in 1981.”
Club chairman Bob Frappell said the need to modernise facilities was at the forefront of committee members’ minds. “We’re the custodians for the present, and we want to be sustainable for the future. The race club is certainly an asset and we’re trying to build a business model that ensures the public can enjoy the club well into the future,” Mr Frappell said.
The decision to move betting facilities from the former Bob Gibbs Pavillion to the area between the broadcast tower and public grandstand and revamp the pavilion as a function venue was made at a committee meeting earlier this year. The Neil Mansell Concrete Betting Complex now offers patrons a carpeted, glassed-in area overlooking the track with bookmakers, TAB facilities and plasma TVs, while the Entertainment Auditorium will be able to host up to 250 people for a variety of different functions, complete with dance floor in the centre.
With attendances increasing week by week and demand for functions strong, Mr Frappell said the club is seeking to put itself on the map in the local community. “We want the club to be the preferred entertainment venue in Toowoomba, and this opening is one step toward ensuring we achieve this,” he said.
The Entertainment Auditorium is now open for bookings and is able to cater to presentation nights, birthdays, engagements, weddings and entertainment evenings with a formal setting.
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