People from all facets of Sydney racing will be attending the 2010 Sydney Autumn Carnival Racing Fraternity Mass next month.

The Racing Mass, held on Sunday 14 March at 11am, is attended by people of all denominations and by people who are non-churched, representing all sections of the racing industry and is offered for the well-being of the racing industry as a whole.

“Many of Sydney’s jockeys take part in the Mass as do heads of most parts of the industry,” said chief organiser, Brother Dan Stafford (from ARCC - Australian Racing Christian Chaplaincy).

“Last year all departments of racing attended including bookmakers, racing administrators, race club members, breeding and owner association members, media representatives and punters.

“In all, it is people from the racing industry and their families and loved ones devoting an hour or so to God, asking for The Lord’s blessing upon them.

“The Sydney Turf Club and the Australian Jockey Club give great support to this event and many of the 2010 race trophies, including a number of other symbols, will be included in the procession entering church for the Mass.

“Prayers are offered for those who are sick and included in the items in the procession and eventually left at the altar is a special jockeys’ bereavement book with the names of every jockey who has lost his or her life in Australian racing since the beginning of records.”'

Every capital city of Australia hosts a racing carnival mass for its people to attend.

Brother Dan stressed that everyone is welcome to attend the Mass: “People from all walks of life and faiths are very, very welcome to come and refreshments will be served following the Mass.”

2010 SYDNEY AUTUMN CARNIVAL RACING FRATERNITY MASS
Date: Sunday 14 March – commencing at 11am
Venue: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 4 Roma Avenue, Kensington

Everyone welcome!

This year's National Jockeys Celebration Day will be held on Saturday 6th March.
ARCC will participate in a prayer for jockeys as part of the day at Warwick Farm.

The National Jockeys Celebration Day (NJCD) is an initiative of the Australian Jockeys Association (AJA) and the Australian Racing Board (ARB), to establish a day on the national racing calendar to:

• Recognise the contribution that both former and current jockeys have made to the thoroughbred racing industry;
• Commemorate those jockeys who have lost their lives in riding accidents; and
• Raise funds for the National Jockeys Trust.

The National Jockeys Celebration Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in March at designated race clubs throughout Australia and this year the event is scheduled for Saturday 6^th March in most states. Additional events will be held nationally throughout March as part of NJCD.

One of the ever-present features at a race meeting are the ambulance officers.  They are there to respond to any accidental injuries that might arise from the racing and/or handling of the horses.  At metropolitan tracks they also attend trackwork sessions each morning. 

On most occasions there are no incidents to respond to, but nonetheless they are always available should an incident arise.

In a similar way, much of the chaplain's role involves being available to respond as needs arise. In addition to this, an important part of the chaplain's role is to visit the injured and/or to provide other (non-medical) assistance when accidents happen.  The good working relationship that exists between chaplains and ambulance personnel is therfore a great bonus.

It was a very wet Super Saturday as the above picture shows.

However, our intrepid judge (Colin Watts Snr, pictured here with Tiffany Henderson - strapper of Emissary) braved the rain to select the best paraded horse for each race on the programme.

Clearly, winners are grinners!

Congratulations to ARCC's Super Saturday Strapper Awards winners!!

These were presented to the strapper of the "Best Paraded Horse" for each race at Royal Randwick's Super Saturday meeting on October 3rd 2009

A big thank you to our judge Colin Watts (Snr) who spent most of the day in the incessant rain!
Thanks also to the various AJC staff who assisted with the practical arrangements.

ARCC will sponsor awards for strappers at this year's "Super Saturday" raceday on October 3 at Royal Randwick.

These awards aim to give some recognition to the efforts of those who care for the horses day in and day out.

For each of the ten races on the programme, a $50 cash prize will be awarded to the strapper of the "best paraded horse".

Judging will take place in the parade ring as the horses are paraded before each race and will take into account the presentation of both horse and handler, as well as the horse handling skills of the strapper.  The name of the winning strapper & horse will then be announced over the on-course PA as the horses make their way out onto the track.

Judge for the day will be Colin Watts (father of ARCC's fulltime chaplain), a retired standardbred trainer who for many years was standardbred judge for the Sydney Royal Show.

While Pat Day was in Sydney, he recorded an interview at the Centre for Public Christianity.  Click on the link below to view the interview:

Racing for more than gold from CPX on Vimeo.

Or .. click here to listen to an extended audio interview with Pat

 Below are some pics from Pat Day's recent visit ...

Pat meeting with the RTCA-NZ team in Christchurch

Pat with ARCC chairperson Dr Karin Sowada in Melbourne

Pat with Ray Silburn and Bob Prior in Canberra

Pat and Colin in the trainers hut at Rosehill trackwork

Pat and Brother Dan at Randwick races

Pat with jockey Chris Munce in AJC Jockeys' Room

Pat at ARCC's Sydney Racing Golf Day

Pat with injured jockey Paul Goode

Former champion US jockey Pat Day will be visiting Australia in September at the invitation of ARCC.

In his 32 year career as a jockey, Pat Day rode 8.803 winners and won almost US$298 million in prizemoney - the highest ever at the time of his retirement in August 2005.

Pat is the industry spokesperson for Race Track Chaplaincy of America and will be keen to share the difference that knowing Christ has made to both his life and career.

Pat will the keynote speaker at a number of events during his visit, including the ARCC's Sydney Racing Industry Golf Day on Monday September 7th, and at St Martin's Anglican Church, Kensington on Sunday September 6th (9:30am - all welcome).

Anglican minister, the Reverend Colin Watts has commenced his role as the first full-time
chaplain to the Sydney horse-racing fraternity as of Monday 1 June 2009.

Before taking up his role on behalf of the Australian Racing Christian Chaplaincy Inc.
(ARCC), Rev Watts was Rector of The Oaks Parish in western Sydney for eleven
years. He has also served in the parishes of Sutton Forest and Peakhurst. Colin
studied Computer Science at UNSW prior to completing theological studies at Moore
Theological College.

Colin’s family has a long history in harness racing. His grandfather, Jack (JD) Watts
moved from Parkes to establish his stables at Mascot, training and driving many
champion horses for over fifty years including Smoke Cloud, Walla Walla, Captain
Sandy and Caduceus. Colin Snr continued the tradition as a successful trainer/driver,
winning a Trotter’s Interdominion with Yamamoto. Colin’s brother Graeme has
extended this to a third generation, his most recent success being with Te Kanarama.

‘Colin brings to the role a familiarity with horses, along with a great heart to serve
people in the racing community, and to help them know Jesus Christ,’ said Dr Karin
Sowada, Chair of the ARCC Board.
‘We are very thankful for the donors and organisations who have provided the
resources to support ARCC in this new venture.’
‘We have also been working closely with the AJC, the STC, Racing NSW and various
Christian denominations over the last few years, and are very grateful for their ongoing
support’, said Dr Sowada.

Brother Dan Stafford, a much-loved figure in the racing industry, will continue his
honorary role alongside Colin. Rev. Paul Bayliss, who has served as Honorary
Anglican chaplain to the Sydney Turf Club, will retire from this position in June.

Rev. Watts will be commissioned by the Anglican Bishop of South Sydney, the Right
Rev. Robert Forsythe, at a special service on Sunday 21 June at St Martin’s Anglican
Church, Todman Ave, Kensington, commencing at 2pm. Colin and his wife Anna will
be based at St Martin’s and work with the racing industry in the wider Sydney region.