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Hawkesbury Race Club is offering a special incentive to encourage racegoers to pre-purchase tickets for its 19th stand-alone metropolitan meeting on Saturday week (4th May).

Not only are the $25 general admission tickets available at a 20% discount, but every pre-purchaser will be in the running for a $500 cash prize.

“General admission tickets are available at $20 until the close of business on Thursday week (May 2),” HRC chief executive James Heddo said today.

“We will draw a winner the following morning, and one early shopper will become $500 richer.

“Obviously we are encouraging racegoers to take advantage of the discount on GA tickets, which will also assist smoother entry into the course on raceday.

“Hawkesbury Cup day is always a special and memorable event to share with family and friends.

“We greatly appreciate the support from our sponsors, whose encouragement and assistance combine to make this day such a great success each year.”  First run in 2006 for total prizemoney of $540,000, this year’s Saturday stand-alone fixture will be worth more than three times that amount, with in excess of $1.8m being offered.

“With such great support from Racing NSW, the club is delighted to make such record prizemoney available to owners and trainers,” Heddo said.

“The rail will be back in the TRUE position, and we’re looking forward to another fantastic day’s racing.”

Hawkesbury’s highlight day of the racing year features three Group 3 events (all worth $250,000); the Richmond Club Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m), Blacktown Workers Club Group Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) for three-year-olds, and Pioneer Services Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) for fillies and mares.

The 10-race program also features the $200,000 Listed Hawkesbury XXXX Gold Rush (1000m).

Sydney’s leading trainer Chris Waller won both the Cup (New Mandate) and Crown (Princess Grace) last year, and also landed the Cup quinella (Desert Icon was runner-up) along with securing a treble after Pretty Amazing took the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m).

Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott won the Guineas with the recently retired Hawaii Five Oh, giving Nash Rawiller two of the three features. He also rode Princess Grace, whilst James McDonald clinched his second Cup, having been successful in 2014 on Team Hawkes’ Leebaz.

Off the track, bookings for all the various packages are going extremely well, with only limited numbers still available.

Top-class racing aside, patrons will be entertained by crowd favorites Furnace & The Fundamentals, who will provide a lively performance following the running of the Cup. Various activations including a Gin Garden, TAB Mounting Yard, food trucks and more promise to cater to a wide range of interests.

The Fashions On The Field competition is always keenly contested with fashionistas able to enter by uploading their images from the designated “Fashion Chute” area, and then tagging Hawkesbury Race Club Instagram and Facebook handles, from where judging will take place.

The digital format promotes inclusivity for all racegoers and encourages those to enter who might normally not be keen to appear on stage.

In a real coup for the event, Panthers have joined as a major sponsor and will host the inaugural Panthers/Hawkesbury Race Club Sports Luncheon/Calcutta at Western Sydney Conference Centre at the new 5-star Pullman Penrith Hotel the day before the race meeting.

The luncheon is expected to become a must attend annual feature and a perfect way to launch into the Cup Day weekend.

Special guests include Racing NSW CEO and ARL Commission Chairman Peter V’Landys AM, Tulloch Lodge co-trainer Adrian Bott, Panthers NRL head coach Ivan Cleary with co-captains Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo.