2025 winner of the Junee Pacers Cup Dashing (Art Major) with driver Bruce Harpley and connections.
Bruce clocked up his 900th win on Monday Night.
The 2026 Phoenix Accounting and Business Services Junee Pacers Cup and the $10,000 Junee Prime Lamb Speed Shear will take place this Saturday, January 24 at the Junee Showgrounds, providing a cost effective, fun-filled day out.
Speed Shear starts at 3:00 pm, and the first race starts at 6:43 pm. There will be lots of entertainment for the whole family, live music by Liam Dalby, mini trotters, a mechanical bull, a jumping castle and face painting.
How much is all this, you ask? Only $10 for adults, $5 for pensioners and free for children.
The Junee Pacers Cup’s roots are deeply intertwined with the town’s agricultural and sporting identity. The event has been a staple for decades, organised tirelessly by the Junee Harness Racing Club. It represents a classic example of country racing’s heart.
The event has weathered challenges, from droughts affecting horse populations to the evolving economics of regional racing. Its survival and continued popularity are a testament to the resilience of the Junee community, which rallies each year to preserve this slice of local heritage.
Tegan Judd of Junee Harness Racing Club spoke to the Junee Independent about the event and the main race in the Pacers Cup.
“It is the main event of the night on the track. It’s $18,000 in prize money. We’ve got a really strong field for that race, a lot of away horses, which have bought a lot of quality. We’ve got nine strong races throughout the night,” she said.
“We also have our Junee Prime Lamb Speed Shear, which will continue on into the evening.
“Off the track, we’ve got lots of entertainment. We’ve got live music by Liam Dalby. He’ll be playing after the last race until late. We’ve got face painting, a jumping castle, a mechanical bull for the kids, the ice cream van, Marty’s Wood Fired Pizzas, as well as our traditional canteen.
“We will have the mini trotters as well in action before the first race. They’ll be starting at about 5:30 pm.
“We have had a lot of support from the Junee community. The trots have been in Junee for about 120 years. We had our centenary quite a few years ago. A lot of people this time of year like to get out and support it, and we’ve had a lot of good sponsorship from the community this year, which has been good.
“There have definitely been quite a few changes over those years, especially with the rules and things around on the track, but we’ve seen a lot of developments throughout the facilities up here as well, especially over the last few years. We have had it revamped a little bit with a watering system, new gardens and a bit of painting.
“Tickets are $10, which keeps it affordable for families. $10 for adults, $5 for pensioners, and then children under 16 are free, so it’s not a super expensive night out for a family. The food is all quite reasonable.
“We definitely like to get families here and everyone here to have a good night out and be accessible to everyone.”
Jack Murray