Six different jockeys and trainers were successful at the 2025 New Year’s Day races held at Hanging Rock. Close finishes were generally the order of the day.
Kyneton and Hanging Rock Racing Club was extremely pleased with the sizeable crowd, again illustrating the drawcard capacity of time-honoured ‘Racing at The Rock’.
The local club is now busily preparing for its Australia Day meeting, with the feature event the 2025 Hanging Rock Cup.
Favourable weather conditions helped attract a large holiday crowd on Wednesday, with the temperature ideal.
“Things have gone really well, and we are really happy with the attendance,” racing club general manager Jon Dight said after the final race ran at 4.40pm.
Racing club president, Gary O’Meara, was also generally pleased with the day’s proceedings.
“It’s great to see our supporters getting behind the meeting with their on-going sponsorships for individual races,” he said.
McMahon’s Dairy from Sunbury is one of the very long-term supporters of racing at Hanging Rock.
The club is hoping that many individuals and family groups who enjoyed themselves on Wednesday will be back again for the Australia Day meeting.
O’Meara also expressed the club’s appreciation to owners and trainers from far and wide who brought their gallopers to ‘The Rock’; also the jockeys who rode at the venue — some for the very first time.
The day’s six winning gallopers came from Swan Hill, Flemington, Colac, Pakenham, Cranbourne and Benalla.
The track was upgraded to ‘good 3’ status after the first race.
Hanging Rock was a non-TAB meeting, but there was the on-course tote and bookmakers operating to cater for those wishing to invest on the local events.
There were also plenty of entertainment and giveaways for the younger generation.
Newham Fire Brigade representatives were appreciative of donations received from race day attendees.
RIDE OF THE DAY?
Jake Duffy has a long-time affinity for riding at Hanging Rock meetings, and his reputation for giving his mounts every chance from inside barrier draws was again illustrated when he scored narrowly aboard Felasivi in the Hygain Maiden over 1000 metres.
From barrier 1, Felasivi never went around a horse, and won narrowly much to the delight of connections of the Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin trained filly.
There was almost a triple dead-heat in the Stan Nicholls Sprint BM58 Handicap run over 1000m.
Shine On Design’s winning jockey Jade De Rose and Colac trainer Daryl Canon had an anxious wait before a protest alleging interference near the 600m was heard, and eventually dismissed.
Small fields definitely did not mean there would not be close finishes.
Topweight The Knight’s Gospel, ridden by Logan McNeil, narrowly won the Midland Express BM52 Handicap over 1800m.
Jake Duffy … happy after he won aboard Felasuvi. 
Jockey Connor Murtagh and owner-trainer Peter Donnelly after Adare Manor’s victory in the Tony McMahon BM58 Handicap. 
After the Midland Express Handicap (from left): Winning jockey Logan McNeil, K&HRRC president Gary O’Meara, Midland Express sportswriter Bill West, race club committeeman Brian Johnson. 
Winning connections after the Midland Express Handicap. 
A big crowd: a section of the New Year’s Day crowd at Hanging Rock. Photo: Jay Town /Racing Photos
