"AND THEY’RE RACING…"

Horse Racing, the Sport of Champions, is a sport that Cleanevent have long been involved with, considering Flemington Racecourse was the very first cleaning contract Craig Lovett ever won. The partnership between the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) and Cleanevent has been extremely successful for both parties; so it is without hesitation that each year Cleanevent proudly sponsor a horse race.

Saturday July 8 saw the running of the Cleanevent Handicap 2000, along with the Lombard the Paper People Grand National Steeplechase, the Collex Waste Management Handicap and the AJS Window Cleaning Services Handicap. Apart from sponsoring horse races, these three companies also have long standing working relationships with Cleanevent, and this event provides the perfect platform to relax and enjoy the company of those people we deal with almost on a daily basis.

Horse racing is an exciting sport to watch with the thrill of the race, the thrill of a win, the colours, the fashions around the field and not forgetting the horses. The Grand National Steeplechase Day was no exception. This race meeting is the third biggest on the calendar at Flemington, behind the Spring Carnival and the Autumn Carnival. The Terrace Restaurant was near full capacity with 640 guests and all the function rooms were full. The day was very well attended by the public and VRC members with an overall crowd of approximately 9,000.

So, with suits on and hats on, it was a very merry bunch of Cleanevent staff and clients who made their way to the Terrace Restaurant for a day of fun and frivolity. The Moet was flowing and the "Crownies" were on ice, as we arrived in time for Race 2, the AJS Window Cleaning Services Handicap. A race for two year olds, run over 1722 metres, it was won by the favourite, Little Dozer and paid $3.50 for a win.

Race 4 was the Lombard the Paper People Grand National Steeplechase. It is the Melbourne Cup of Steeplechase and is run over 4700 metres. It consists of 22 jumps, which never fail to test both horses and riders. This year’s event proved to be very exciting, with Leading Bounty taking out first place and paying $11.50 for a win.

The Collex Waste Management Handicap was Race 6 on the card. It was a specialist race for two year olds, run over 1406 metres with Senet Pete coming in first, and paying $4.00 for a win.

By this stage of the day, most of us on the Cleanevent table were well out of pocket, possibly due to a tip in an earlier race which we were assured would "come home," however, it didn’t. (Thanks BA!) I thought being a Cleanevent employee, would put me in good stead for the Cleanevent Handicap, plus by Race 7 one would expect that it was my turn to win something, anything! I was so confident that I bet on three different horses, needless to say that Mountain High was not one of them and what a ?*&!# because it paid $52.10 for a win. Word has it, that a very astute punter on the Lombard table did back Mountain High, so I’m sure he had a good day!

Having never been to the Terrace Restaurant before this day, I must say that it is an amazing corporate facility. The food was beautiful, the atmosphere electric and the view of the winning post is unrivalled. The only problem was that I left with less money than I arrived with. Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?!