Picnic racing returns to Deagon

Picnic racing returns to Brisbane with about 5000 people expected to attend a meeting at the Deagon track.

The Deagon picnic meetings were the brain child of the late racecaller Wayne Wilson who saw picnic meetings were a great success in NSW and Victoria.

Deagon was one of Brisbane’s main tracks until it was closed in 1941 and is now mainly used as a training centre, for barrier trials and as the headquarters of Racing Queensland.

Picnic meetings were held at the track from 2013 to 2015 before a dispute about funding meant it was suspended for the past two years.

A picnic meeting will be held on Sunday with the backing of the Deagon Racing Club in partnership with BRC and Racing Queensland.

Five races with one worth $10,000 and the other four each carrying $7500 prize money have been allocated for the day which will also feature foot races, fashions on the field and entertainment.

Deagon is in Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe’s electorate.

“It has a been a great success in the past and I look forward to attending this year’s meeting along with people from all over Brisbane,” he said.