Manangatang racegoers enjoy a reprieve from the dry

WHILE Melbourne has the race that stops a nation, Manangatang has the race that stops a season.

Manangatang Cup Day Races, president Des Ryan, Picture Yuri Kouzmin

FARMERS in Victoria’s marginal Mallee region are betting folk — they know only too well when the odds are stacked against them.

But on Saturday, in the shadows of towering grain silos at Manangatang, northwest of Swan Hill, they gathered in their thousands, not to seek pity in the face of rapidly deteriorating seasonal conditions and a five-day heatwave that scorched crops and sapped yield potential just weeks away from harvest.

Rather, they came together to enjoy a laugh and have a punt on something — anything — other than the season.

Manangatang Cup Day Races, president Des Ryan, Picture: Yuri Kouzmin.

For while Melbourne has the race that stops a nation, Manangatang — population 470 — has the race that stops a season. No matter how stark its outlook.

“It’s not usually as dry as this,” Manangatang Racing Club president and Chinkapook farmer Des Ryan ­acknowledges as he oversees an endless stream of punters making a beeline for the rails or the shade of the bar and betting ring — farmers, townsfolk or revellers taking part in buck’s and hen’s parties and end-of-season football and netball trips.

 

Manangatang Races

 

Clearly, it has been a tough ­season. Ouyen, just to the west of Manangatang, recorded three consecutive days above 37C last week — 14C above average for this time of year — following a drier-than-average winter and spring.

Mr Ryan said some of the local crops were “not looking too bad” about three weeks from the start of harvest.

“I don’t think there’s anything we won’t harvest,” he said. “We are doing better than down around Birchip — they are heading into their second (failed) season and doing it pretty tough.”

The Agfarm Manangatang Cup was won by Roger Booth on Treasure Map. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Punters agreed parts of the southern Mallee and Wimmera were bearing the brunt of the season, with many farmers forced to cut their crops for hay now due to a lack of moisture in the soil to carry them through for harvest.

“It’s pretty bloody awful down there,” quips one.

“How do you go back to your bank manager to back you for what could be a third failed crop?” adds his mate.

Elders Wycheproof manager Jim Coffey, who owns a share in five-year-old chestnut mare Tycoon Jewel which took out the final race on the six-race card, said meets such as Manangatang gave the farming community “that is ­really struggling … a chance for a day off”.

“That’s what it’s all about — it’s back to the drought on Monday, but they have a day off,” Mr Coffey said.

“These kind of meetings, not that they’re anything special as far as a race meeting goes, are bringing racing to a huge public area. A lot of work goes into volunteering on a race club to run these small country one-day-a-year jobs.”

Jessie Sutherland, of Mildura, Tara Managham, of Tempy, Kaitlyn Brennan, of Mildura, Gemma Torpes, of Turriff, Kirsten Henderson, of Mildura. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

And in hopefully an omen for farmers seeking a reversal of fortune, the Kyneton-trained five-year-old brown gelding Treasure Map bolted away to win the $20,000 feature Manangatang Cup.

Now all that is needed is rain to fall where X marks the spot.