Help needed to repair racecourse

Come each June, the Roebourne racecourse stirs from its slumber.

Bookmakers set up their stands, women pull on their frocks and the sound of thunderous hooves rings out around the track.

However, with less than a month until the first scheduled race meet for the Nor West Jockey Club, Cultural and Tourism Day on June 7, the sights and sounds are much different.

The grandstand sits empty and roofless, the fashion on the field is high-vis work wear, patched with sweat, and a whipper snipper whirs as its operator cleans out weeds and cuts the lawn down to a nice uniform height as the club's committee members are locked in their own race to fix up the course before race day.

Nor West Jockey Club president Kevin Kininmonth said the club's voluntary committee had been down every weekend cleaning up the damage from Cyclone Christine.

"It's never devastated us like this before … we're up against Mother Nature at her best," he said.

"(The cyclone) damaged the inside and the outside running rail, it's also taken the roof off the grand stand, the steward's tower sub-panelling came away and over towards the back areas there was damage to buildings and panelling stripped off."

So far Kininmonth said some local businesses had pitched in to repair the grandstand roof, but the club was looking at some big costs to replace most of the railing, which circles the large track.

"There are spots around the track where we think we can leave it up, but the majority of it has to come down and be repaired and the cost is estimated to be somewhere between $70,000 to $100,000 to replace it through labour and materials," he said.

The club has applied to Racing and Wagering Western Australia for financial assistance via the Royalties for Regions program, but Kininmonth said the club needed local businesses and corporate entities to get on board so the racing could go on.

"We're positive, which is the main thing," he said.

"In prior years through rain, we've missed our first race meeting so it's becoming a bit habitual so to speak … we don't like it to happen, we'd rather race but you can't argue with Mother Nature."

The club's committee members toil on with high hopes they will have the second oldest race club in WA ready in time, but without support from the community, it might not become a reality.

The Nor West Jockey Club has four race meets: Cultural and Tourism Day on June 7, Family Day June 21, Ladies Day July 12 and the Roebourne Cup July 26.

Only a handful of 2014 season club memberships remain for purchase through www.nwjcroebourne.com.au/ .