The big annual race meet brought out most of the tiny Burke Shire community to enjoy a six-race card and plenty of entertainment on the side.

In the Brodie and Co Class B Handicap over 800m for a prize pool of $9000 Kim McGovern’s Red Chevy Coupe with Shane McGovern aboard held off One Tuff Cupcake by 0.2 of a length with Potholes in third place for a thrilling finish.

In Race 2 the Start Construction-Kevin from Heaven QTIS Maiden Plate over 1150m for a prize pool of $8000 produced a win for trainer Jay Morris whose New Zealand horse Target Strike was expertly guided home by Steven Galvin, an impressive five lengths ahead of Smiling Mistress with Thank You back in third.

Race 3 was the Nowland Engineering / Columba Catholic College BenchMark 45 Handicap over 1150m with a prize pool of $9000.

In first place by a margin of 0.4 lengths was Lunar Luck ridden by Shaun Mossman for trainer Justin Bawden beating Show Us The Way and Veganer coming in close behind in third.

In Race 4 the Niverak Smash Repairs / Clemments Electrical Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1300m which had a prize pool of $9000 Steering gave Mount Isa trainer Denise Ballard her first win of the day, with son Dan Ballard taking victory over Northern Storm by 0.2 lengths with Diurnal Tiger in third place.

Race 5 had an $11,000 prize pool for the Burke Shire Cup Open Handicap over 1150m, and it was all smiles from trainer and owner Denise Ballard with her second win of the day.

Her new horse All Fives ridden by Danny Ballard had a fierce finish over Caldane ridden by Steven Galvin by three lengths, and Our Hustler ridden by Shaun Mossman coming in third place.

For the last race of the day, Remembering June and Dig in the BenchMark 65 Handicap over 1500m the winner was Chocolate Bolt ridden by Shane McGovern and trained by Kim McGovern coming in ahead of Kerry Krogh’s What The Heck ridden by Steven Galvin.