RV partners with The Victorian Wakeful Club on Lady of Racing award

Racing Victoria (RV) has partnered with The Victorian Wakeful Club on this year’s Lady of Racing Award, which celebrates women who have made an outstanding contribution to the thoroughbred racing and breeding industries.

Established in 1993, the award has been won in the past by Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup; Gaye Gauci-Marchant, a trailblazer for women in the industry; Penny Reeve, CEO of Seymour Racing Club; and Christine Woodard, Principal of Yallambee Stud.

This year’s winner will be announced at The Victorian Wakeful Club luncheon, held on Thursday 8 March, 2018 – International Women’s Day – at Metropolis Events, located on the banks of Melbourne’s Yarra River.

Candidates can soon be nominated on The Victorian Wakeful Club’s website, with the winner selected by a panel compromising committee members.

“We are delighted to be supporting The Victorian Wakeful Club on this year’s Lady of Racing Award,” said Racing Victoria CEO Giles Thompson. 

“Equal opportunity is one of the key pillars of our organisation, and so it is wholly fitting that we should acknowledge and celebrate the fundamental role played by so many female participants in the industry.”   

“This prestigious award is recognised in the thoroughbred racing industry as a platform to identify those women who have made a major contribution to the industry in their chosen fields, whether it be trainers, jockeys, vets, Off the Track re-trainers, stud farm and breeding personnel, or racing club administrators,” said Christine Downing, President of The Victorian Wakeful Club.

“We welcome nominations for any woman who has a connection to the industry, and who meets the selection criteria.

“This year, we are very excited to have Racing Victoria on board as our major sponsor, enabling us to take the award to the next level.”