The winner will be announced at the bet365 Country Racing Victoria Awards, which will take place at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on Saturday, August 24.
The Club of the Year Award is presented to the club with a turnover exceeding $1 million and that has been deemed to have the best overall performance for the 2023-24 racing season.
This year, the five finalists for the Club of the Year Award are:
• Benalla Racing Club
• Echuca Racing Club
• Geelong Racing Club
• Seymour Racing Club
• Swan Hill Jockey Club
Echuca Racing Club track manager Jarratt Farley was thrilled that the club was up for the award and said it was evidence of the hard work his staff had put in to elevate the club.
“We are really honoured to be nominated for the award and to be recognised among a high calibre of clubs for the 2023-24 season,” he said.
“There are lots of great clubs nominated there, so being considered among the top five in the state over the last 12 months is a great achievement.
“We view this nomination as a testament to our ongoing commitment to evolve and enhance our race club. This recognition reassures us that our efforts are on the right track.”
For Farley, the nod is a glowing review of his six-month tenure with the club, but he said he could not accept much of the praise as he was supported up by a stellar team and committee.
“It is a nice nod for me, but I have only been here for six months, so more acknowledgements have to go to the staff who have been here over the whole 12 months and the previous CEO, Garry Armstrong,” he said.
“The committee also deserve recognition as they stepped up in the absence of a CEO and helped substantially, so it’s a shared honour.”
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