Tarzino Trophy TAB Daffodil Raceday raised $40,000 for Hawke's Bay cancer patients and their families, surpassing the previous fundraising record of $36,000 set last year. “We are in shock. Good shock! $40,000 will have a massive impact in helping to provide services for Hawke's Bay patients and their whanau,” Hawke's Bay Cancer Society Acting Centre Manager Chris Franklyn said. “We can't speak highly enough of the commitment and passion of the team at Hawke's Bay Racing and the TAB, who again, have exceeded all expectations. “Our volunteers were very grateful to be treated to a wonderful high tea, the highlight of which was hearing from sporting legends Ian Smith, Grant Nisbett and Stephen Donald.“
Almost 3,000 people, including many families and children, turned out on what was a perfect spring day at Hastings Racecourse. Hawke's Bay Racing chief executive Andrew Castles said he was overawed by the generosity of both the local and racing communities. “The racecourse on Saturday played incredibly well for the horses and jockeys, and it looked amazing with over 5,000 daffodils spread across the complex,” Castles said. “I am extremely proud of everyone involved in this special day and see it as a privilege for Hawke's Bay Racing to be able to support our local Cancer Society with a significant cash donation .”
Principal sponsor Westbury Stud raised $5,500 by raffling a trip to the 2020 Golden Slipper, and trainer Tony Pike generously donated $1,000 per winner on the day, taking his total to $3,000. “We had a record gate collection of $6,100 and a record price of $4,400 paid for our charity lunch with Stephen Donald,” Castles said. “Other supporters from the racing community included the Melody Belle Syndicate, Bruce & Maureen Harvey, Gerald Shand, Al Basti Equiworld and Te Akau Racing who came to the party with a donation of the amount required to get us to the $40,000 threshold.”
The day was proudly supported by TAB NZ who donated $12,000 to the cause. “We're delighted to throw our weight behind this initiative. Cancer touches everybody at some point, everywhere across New Zealand. Daffodil Raceday is an important way for the TAB to connect with our community and support the vital work of the Cancer Society,”TAB General Manager Customer Gary Woodham said. The Daffodil Racedays initiative has now raised more than $260,000 for the Cancer Society nationwide.