A welcome 33 millimetres of rain fell on the Cessnock Racecourse last week ensuring the track surface will be in fine condition for Friday’s 2018 Cessnock Leagues Club Jungle Juice Cup race meeting.
The famous Jungle Juice Cup first run in 1981 has been Cessnock flagship event ever since. In recent months with the drought hitting hard and the dam at the racecourse empty, one Cessnock meeting was transferred to Newcastle because of the track.
Rain had to fall to save the Jungle Juice Cup meeting from being transferred. A few weeks back some much-needed rain arrived with last week fall the icing on the cake.
Course manager Steve Tapp was a relieved man earlier this week.
“The rain has been fantastic, and the track is in the soft range at present. It came at the right time for the Jungle Juice Cup meeting,” Tapp said. A Calcutta will be held at the Cessnock Leagues Club on Thursday night.
Robert Thompson has ridden eleven Jungle Juice Cup winners while Jeremy Sylvester has trained eight winners of the famous race.
Thompson’s first two Cup Winners Top Hat Joe (1982) and Action Time (1985) were trained by his father Arthur.
In 1986 ‘RT’ steered Barzoon home for Maitland trainer Phil Atkins. His next three cups winners for Sylvester – Justifiably Proud (1988), Desalante (1989) and Mighty Rimu (1993).
Former Kiwi Beaucastel carried Thompson to victory in 1994 and he had to wait eighteen years for his next cup win aboard General’s Sniper.
Sylvester and Thompson combined to win three Jungle Juice Cups with Youthful King in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Wednesday November 21 is a historic day for racing at Cessnock. It is the first showcase meeting with record prizemoney including the richest race ever held at Cessnock.
The $50,000 Cessnock Cup (2125m) will highlight the meeting.