Dear Trainer,
The Australian Trainer’s Association (ATA), has scheduled a number of activities in Tasmania for the second quarter (April - June) of 2017.
Our Tasmanian Branch, chaired by Nigel Schuuring and ably supported by his dedicated committee, are proactive on the local operational matters and needs, which includes regular interaction with industry stakeholders at the TAN meetings. From the ATA HO perspective, it is opportune for us to overlay that local support with some marketing and member related activities. Plans developed in this regard include:
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Working with Peter Scott and his team at the TTC, the ATA has agreed to sponsor a FREE BBQ at the Mowbray night races for Owners & Trainers on the nights of 29 March & 5 April. The BBQ will sit adjacent to the Owners & Trainers viewing room, directly behind the mounting yard.
The ATA will also run several themed race events at Mowbray in this quarter. Our first will occur on the night of 12 April, with the running of the Sky/ATA Trainers’ Trust Handicap. This will be the first ATA themed race event in Tasmania. The race will promote the Australian Trainers’ Trust, a national medium with the ability to support Trainers where serious illness, sickness or even death causes acute financial hardship. We are delighted Vaughn Lynch, CEO of Tasracing, will be our guest on course on 12 April (noting Tasracing also provided recent financial support to the Trust). He will be joined by Mervyn Hill, the ATA’s newly appointed Non-Executive Chairman (based in Tasmania), to celebrate this inaugural event.
The north of the state will certainly not miss out. Working with Shayne Stevenson and his team at TRC, the plan - to be finalised this week - is to replicate the themed race events at Elwick during May and June. Complimenting the Trainers’ Trust race, we will run an ATA Celebrates 50 Years Handicap. The latter is a particularly exciting initiative, as this event, in addition to standard prizemoney, will carry bonus incentives for participating ATA Member trainers where their horses fill the 1st, 2nd and 3rd placings! More detail will follow on this shortly.
We are really excited to be working with our local Tasmanian Branch Committee, the two race clubs - and with broad general support from Tasracing - to design ways to raise the profile of the ATA in Tasmania, and at the same time, provide tangible benefit to our members and training community in general.
Kind Regards
ANDREW NICHOLL
Chief Executive
