Peter Gelagotis Racing in drive to raise funds for motor neurone disease in month of June
Manny Gelagotis is uniting his two great passions – racing and footy – to contribute to the massive FightMND drive to raise funds for motor neurone disease research.
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Three-year-old stayer Thunder Zeus would contribute to one of Australian sport’s greatest causes if he saluted at Flemington on Saturday.
Thunder Zeus will carry the official FightMND silks as part of the Neale Daniher-inspired drive to raise funds for research into motor neurone disease.
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The King’s Birthday weekend is the high point of FightMND’s fundraising campaign as celebrities slide into icy water at Monday’s AFL game between Collingwood and Melbourne.
The Peter Gelagotis stable is doing its bit for the cause with all its runners to carry the FightMND colours during the month of June.
Southside Racing and Racing Victoria will donate $1000 for each winner the stable prepares with the yellow and black silks this month.
Stable manager Manny Gelagotis said the FightMND cause resonated with him in his capacity as the president of the Moe Lions Football Club.
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“We’re doing this in conjunction with the Moe Lions where Neale Daniher’s son Ben has played for the last four or five years,” Gelagotis said.
“That’s how the connection was made and I’ve got to know the family well.”
Gelagotis said the Moe Lions would hold its annual FightMND fundraiser at its game on Saturday while Thunder Zeus hopefully fought out the finish of a three-year-old race over 2000m at Flemington.
“It’s my passion to drive it through my two interests in racing and the footy club,” Gelagotis said.
“We’ve got many people like Peter Daicos, Nathan Buckley, Sam Kekovich and Denis Pagan that have all done videos for us to help raise awareness.
“The big event happens at Ted Summerton (Oval) on Saturday and it’s turned into a really big thing because a lot of other leagues don’t play on the long weekend so we get heaps of people coming from everywhere.
“Health-permitting, we hope Neale is going to be there but it’s a day-to-day thing and it’s been so powerful when he has made it in the past.”
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Thunder Zeus will head to Flemington as a last-start winner of a maiden over 2080m.
Gelagotis said the son of Night Of Thunder was an improving young stayer with plenty of potential.
“He was too good for them at Cranbourne and he’s getting better all the time,” Gelagotis said.
“He’s going really well but it would be great to see the FightMND colours at Flemington to raise awareness with the racing people.”
Originally published as Peter Gelagotis Racing in drive to raise funds for motor neurone disease in month of June
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