Bowen Turf Club Set for Much-Needed Upgrade

$88,000 is set to boost one of Bowen’s oldest sporting institutions, with the Bowen Turf Club securing funding that’ll help keep horses and riders safe for years to come.  

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The grant comes as part of the Racing Queensland’s Country Club Asset Funding program, which was gifted $450,000 by the government as a means of infrastructure upgrades. The commitment to broader industry, as part of the The Next Lap: A Plan for the Future of Queensland Racing initiative.  

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Member for Burdekin Dale Last MP welcomed the funding, with the Burdekin Race Club receiving $365,000 and the Bowen Turf Club receiving $88,000.  

“Both the Burdekin Growers Race Day and the Bowen Cup have cemented themselves into the North’s social calendar drawing thousands of visitors to our regions and boosting local economies,” Mr Last said.

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“Racing Queensland’s Country Club Asset Funding program provides support towards infrastructure repairs, maintenance and asset replacement to ensure our country race clubs can continue to host the race days that become calendar highlights each year.”

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"By supporting the investment into new jockey and stewards rooms at the Burdekin Race Club we provide opportunities to host more of our favourite race days right here at Home Hill."

For the Bowen Turf Club, the funding gives the volunteer-run organisation that has been working in the region for more than 160 years, a chance for a much needed upgrade.  

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The money will go towards replacing the ageing running rail around the club’s training track with a new poly running rail, helping keep horses and riders safe at a facility that continues to be regularly used for training.  

“It’s huge because for a club to pull that sort of money out of the bank, that’s enough to wreck clubs,” said Steven Daly, President of the Bowen Turf Club.

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“It’s critical infrastructure, especially when you’ve got horses trained at the track, for the safety of the horse and the rider.”

This money comes at a great time, with upcoming events like the Ben Bolt Cup this weekend and the heavily anticipated Bowen Cup in October.

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These events draw thousands of people to Bowen, with the Ben Bolt Cup bringing in around 800 to 1,000 people and the Bowen Cup pulling crowds of more than 3,000.  

For those trackside, Steven said the new rail would also give the facility a cleaner, more professional look, helping keep the club attracting these crowds for years to come.  

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“The new stuff looks professional to the punter, but it’s critical for the horses and riders,” Steven said.  

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“We’ve got to maintain what we’ve got and keep upgrading.”  

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