100+ FACES: Winners and long lost mates celebrate at the Ballina Cup
Fashion and fun brought families and mates together for the 2023 Ballina Cup. Check out our big photo gallery and read what new sponsors have in store for the North Coast.
Lismore
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The annual Ballina Cup is the staple drawcard of the North Coast’s racing and social calendar, attracting thousands of punters over the years to the region.
At the 2023 Ballina Cup locals were met on the green by friends and families from as far south as Melbourne and north of the Gold Coast. There were also punters from Canada, Ireland and Wales.
New sponsors for this year’s Ballina Cup, the Cherry Street Sports Group general manager Tere Sheehan said it’s a ‘fantastic event’.
“We’re glad to be a part of it,” Mr Sheehan said.
“Our profit purpose mentality is to help our community.
“We believe a significant race day like this is something to behold so we’ve jumped on board as a major sponsor.”
With the three clubs joining forces Mr Sheehan said ‘anything is possible’.
“Now that we have a club in Lennox Head we’d love to do a Lennox Head Cup,” he said.
“At another time and we’ll have those conversations with the jockey club.”
Any events, especially racing, which Mr Sheehan said bring people to the town the Club will jump on board with.
In spectacular weather members young and old donned their finest threads while others shared in the holiday fun attending in matching outfits.
Wily locals accustomed to country racing tucked their shirts into well worn jeans and boots while one Sydney man wore a silk shirt and tie with a pair of boardshorts and thongs.
Fascinators wowed this year’s judges for fashions on the field – a crowd favourite – with punters voting for best dressed man, woman, and couple, and also best headpiece.
See the fashion, fascinators and fun from the 2023 Ballina Cup: Gallery
Long lost mates reunited
Irishman Tommy Twomey was ‘one happy leprechaun’ at the Ballina Jockey Club where he had accepted an invitation for a reunion organised by Aussie friend Kevin King, of Koala Farms at Wollongbar.
“We’ve come from across Ireland and Wales to see each other,” Mr Twomey said.
“Some of us haven’t seen each other in over 20 years – I am so glad I booked the international flight and got here.
“My friend Kevin King organised the reunion … we’ve come from all over Ireland and Wales to be here today. We wouldn’t be here without Kevin organising this.”
Three families that make the annual trek to the North Coast attend the Ballina Cup as part of their stay.
Damien Palmer said the group meets up at the Ballina races every year as a tradition.
“We come from the Southern Highlands, Illawarra and the Gold Coast,” Mr Palmer said.
“Every year we all meet up here for a day out.”
The Ballina Cup is a 1600m race held at Ballina Racecourse in New South Wales each year and boasts a total prize pool of $65,000. It is run under handicap conditions.
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