VRC Community Race Day VRC Community Race Day

Prizemoney: $150,000

Handicap. Apprentices can claim.

*First and Second from this heat will be exempt from the ballot in the $201,885 Listed VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final (1200m) to be held on Flemington Finals Race Day, Saturday 5 July 2025.

Race History

DAVID BOURKE (1930-2005)

The Provincial Plate was inaugurated in 1956 to offer an opportunity to win at Flemington for horses who competed predominantly in the country. Appropriately, it was re-named in 1999 by the VRC Committee to honour the valuable contribution made to Victorian racing by David Joseph Bourke, CBE (1930–2005). He and his family had an historic association with Pakenham Racing Club, where he became Secretary aged 19. He chaired the Victorian Country Racing Council 1973–83. He was a VRC Committee member continuously from 1983 to 2002, Vice-Chairman 1990 and VRC Chairman 1991–98, promoting the Melbourne Cup internationally.

Prizemoney: $150,000

3YO & Upwards Quality Handicap. Apprentices cannot claim.

*First and Second from this heat will be exempt from the ballot in the $152,285 Banjo Paterson Series Final (2600m) to be held on Flemington Finals Race Day, Saturday 5 July 2025.

Prizemoney: $150,000

3YO Quality Handicap (VOBIS Silver). Apprentices can claim.

*First and Second from this heat will be exempt from the ballot in the $202,285 Mahogany Challenge Final (2500m) to be held on Flemington Finals Race Day, Saturday 5 July 2025.

Race History

KEN COX (1911–1997)

Kenneth Fabian Cox AM was a VRC Committee member 1968–83, serving for ten years as Honorary Treasurer until his retirement. Energetically chairing the VRC’s promotions committee, he was a driving force behind the transformation of the VRC Spring Meeting into ‘the Melbourne Cup Carnival’ as a modern international event. A successful businessman and racehorse owner, he established Stockwell Stud at Diggers Rest in 1958 which revitalised the Victorian thoroughbred breeding industry with such influential sires as Landau and Showdown.

Prizemoney: $150,000

2YO Handicap (VOBIS Silver). Apprentices can claim.

*First and Second from this heat will be exempt from the ballot in the $176,885 Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) to be held on Flemington Finals Race Day, Saturday 5 July 2025.

Race History

BRIAN BEATTIE

Brian John Beattie came to the Victoria Racing Club as Chief Executive Officer in 1994 after a distinguished career in retail, culminating in his role as managing director of Coles Myer Ltd. He was entrusted with the complex task of administering the separation of the VRC’s traditional function as Principal Racing Club in the state and as the Club responsible for racing at Flemington. He fulfilled both roles with conspicuous success. In 2000 the separation took effect, Brian Beattie administering the industry responsibilities until the formal creation of Racing Victoria Ltd in December 2001.

Prizemoney: $150,000

3YO & Upwards Fillies & Mares Benchmark 90 Handicap. Apprentices can claim.

*First and Second from this heat will be exempt from the ballot in the $152,085 Leilani Series Final (1400m) to be held on Flemington Finals Race Day, Saturday 5 July 2025.

Race History

BRUCE GADSDEN (1923–1996)

Bruce Sansom Gadsden was a successful corporate figure with a passion for thoroughbred breeding and racing, who served the VRC with distinction for over 12 years. An outstanding schoolboy athlete, he served with the RAAF in the latter years of the Second World War. In the 1970s he established the thoroughbred property Brolyn Park which later became Sutton Grange Stud. He was elected to the VRC Committee unopposed in June 1981, and after serving as Honorary Treasurer from 1990, became Vice-Chairman in August 1991. He retired from the Committee in November 1993.

Prizemoney: $150,000

3YO Handicap (VOBIS Silver). Apprentices can claim.

*First and Second from this heat will be exempt from the ballot in the $177,035 Listed A.R. Creswick Stakes (3YO Creswick Sprint Series Final) (1200m) to be held on Flemington Finals Race Day, Saturday 5 July 2025.

Prizemoney: $150,000

3YO Handicap (VOBIS Silver). Apprentices can claim.

*First and Second from this heat will be exempt from the ballot in the $151,885 Silver Bowl Series Final (1600m) to be held on Flemington Finals Race Day, Saturday 5 July 2025.

Race History

ROD JOHNSON

Charles Rodney (Rod) Johnson joined the VRC staff as an office boy in 1946, and held almost every junior and senior post along the way, becoming in 1986 only the seventh Secretary (Chief Executive Office) of the Club in 122 years. He was the first to rise to this position from the ranks within. His roles included Secretary to the Victorian Country Racing Council, Assistant VRC Secretary, and Racing Manager and Deputy Secretary. He retired in June 1994, after 48 years of dedicated and professional service to the VRC, and to the Victorian and Australian racing industry at large.

Prizemoney: $150,000

Quality Handicap. Apprentices cannot claim.

*First and Second from this heat will be exempt from the ballot in the $177,335 Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m) to be held on Flemington Finals Race Day, Saturday 5 July 2025.

Prizemoney: $80,000

Benchmark 84 Handicap. Apprentices can claim.

*First and Second from this heat will be exempt from the ballot in the $201,885 Listed VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final (1200m) to be held on Flemington Finals Race Day, Saturday 5 July 2025.