Kempsey's 2021 racing season draws to an end in a year of Cup races and track records

Warwick Park saw plenty of action over the 2021 with Monday's event bringing an end to a productive season.

The race club managed to hold four out of five possible events with rain cancelling racing on November 27.

June 20 also saw Warwick Park host the Wauchope Cup after the event was re-located.

Kempsey race club secretary John Graham was delighted with how the year went.

"Overall it's been a good year - Kempsey Cup was great, it's disappointing we only had a 600 capacity but we can't do much about that," he said.

Racing on ANZAC Day started the year with Kempsey trainer Julie Lynch claiming a win in Race 4 with Waiheke Island.

May 1 saw only two races go ahead before the rest of meeting was abandoned, however there were still smiles for one local with Barry Ratcliff's Solskjaer winning Race 2.

For the Wauchope Cup meeting, Rocky Simonetta's Monte Di Rose claimed victory in the Country 3yo Maiden while Kris Lees trained Think Free won the Wauchope Cup.

Monte Di Rose's win started a solid back half of the year for Kempsey's Simonetta with his eight-year-old gelding Prima Stella winning the Casino Gold Cup and Hopkins Livermore Cup in Taree.

Kempsey Cup on November 5 saw many owners and pundits make their way to the track for one of the biggest day's on the Macleay sporting calendar.

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Tony Newing's Camp Rifle claimed victory in the Cup race before Jenny Graham's Schiller Bay broke a track record in the Steve Keir Memorial.

Monday's proceedings then rounded off the year and allowed the race club to make a first by hosting the John McGee Memorial.

The race was taken out by Kempsey trainer Hilary Dew with a healthy Monday crowd in attendance for the seven-race meet.

"It was good for a Monday tab meeting, we're very happy with the crowd and the racing was great," Mr Graham added.

2021 also saw the retirement of Hilary Dew's French Command, the 12-year-old gelding finishing with 17 career wins and amassing almost $250,000 in prize money.

Some of the veteran horse's best form came in 2020 winning three races and one second out of five events from May to June.

"He will be happy with his head in the feed bin although he did love his racing," Dew said after the retirement.

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