Chairman’s Message

Dear NJC Members,

On behalf of the NJC Board of Directors and Management team, ‘thank you’ for your continued support during this very tough time dealing with Covid 19 lockdowns and conforming with NSW Health Department guidelines.

All of your Board members and management team are committed to being doubly vaccinated and we encourage NJC members to get the ‘jab’ also in readiness for racing being open to crowds again.

While it has been a difficult time for our staff, we are very fortunate that our Newcastle Racecourse has remained open for training and racing.

The situation whereby we cannot have patrons attending the club and track will surely reflect on our income streams in this current financial year, however, we have a revised budget and are taking every opportunity to reduce costs where possible.

Our Members Grandstand, which has been closed for a major repair, will be back in use in November and the Board has recently approved an internal ceiling which I know will be really appreciated by all. The Board also recently approved an upgrade to the Members Lounge and we expect these modifications to be completed when Members are welcomed back hopefully in mid/late October.

You would all be aware of the Covid rules of entry that applied prior to this recent Covid outbreak. We do expect  racecourse entry to be somewhat stricter and as NJC is bound by the rules and regulations set down by our governing body RNSW, we will conform exactly as necessary. Further to this the NSW Health regulations may also place some restrictions on entry and again we will adhere.

While we are expecting to be open to Members in October and look forward to seeing you trackside, we are planning a couple of Member ‘Welcome Back’ functions for the new year, you will receive further details in coming months.

The NJC Annual General Meeting will be held in the Courtyard Room on Saturday 4th December 2021, this is a race day and we would be delighted to see you there.

Yours Sincerely,

Newcastle Jockey Club Limited

Geoffrey Barnett
Chairman