Will rain fall at Boxing Day Races?

Gates will open at noon with a five-race card, on-course betting, bar and food, fashions, a slippery slide for the children, and camping on the ground

Gladstone horse trainer Lee Kiernan poses with racehorse La Celestina.

HORSE RACING: Final preparations for Calliope’s biggest day on the sporting calendar are being made.

The crowd watches on at the Calliope Races on Boxing Day back in 2017.

And forecast rain will freshen the Calliope Jockey Club track for the 108th Gold Cup Meeting on Thursday.

It will be successful Boxing Day meet

Crowd to frock at Calliope Jockey Club race track

Gates will open at noon with a five-race card, on-course betting, bar and food, fashions, a slippery slide for the children, and camping on the ground.

There will also be a courtesy bus operating from Calliope Central Bowls Club.

Calliope Jockey Club publicity officer Judith Hughes said apart from the racing, there will be another famous tradition off the track.

“Fashions on the Field, as always, have got pretty good nominations, we think, considering the climate,” Hughes said.

“The track has had a lot of work done to it as well as the buildings, painting and new chairs for the public.”

The Fashions on the Field will have prizes for best dressed lady, best fascinator or hat, best dressed gent, under-16 male, under-16 female, under-8 girls and under-8 boys.

There will be almost $50,000 in prizemoney and about $3000 in trophies.

Gladstone trainers Lee Kiernan and Ben Loakes will be busy.

Kiernan’s La Celestina will run in race three and Bettygee will run in race five, and Loakes’s Angel of Leon will run in race four.

Bureau of Meteorology Forecast for Boxing Day

Thursday, December 26

Min 23

Max 29

Shower or two.

Possible rainfall: 3 to 15 mm

Chance of any rain: 70%

Partly cloudy. High (70%) chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the morning.