SYDCOM WINS NAMING RIGHTS TO THE WARRA

NEW sponsor SydCOM will play a major role at Kembla Grange’s premier raceday after securing the naming rights for The Warra.

The commercial garden and turf maintenance business trumped more than 40 others for the opportunity to attach its brand to the Listed 1000m Open sprint at The Gong race meeting on Saturday, November 21.

With prizemoney of $300,000, the SydCOM The Warra is Illawarra Turf Club’s second richest race.

The new sponsorship result was announced at a black tie dinner at Kembla Grange racecourse, where members of The Warra Club were drawn one by one from the barrel and allocated a race on the program.

The final business drawn scored naming rights to The Warra.

It is the first year SydCOM has been part of The Warra Club, and director Ben Paterson couldn’t believe his luck.

“Our close friends at Peak Gardens introduced us to The Warra Club as a great way to network, meet new people and socialize, though the win has brought on some fun rivalry and banter,” Paterson said.

“Winning this year’s naming rights is amazing. We came on board thinking the sponsorship would be good for the business and didn’t expect to be catapulted straight to the top.

“We are looking forward to the season’s events, especially having the honour of presenting winning connections of our race with their trophy.”

Snap Print Solutions Wollongong, naming rights sponsor of The Warra in 2024, was runner-up in this year’s draw.

SydCOM specializes in commercial and government horticultural services, large area mowing and specialist turf management, servicing clients from Greater Sydney to the Australian Capital Territory.

Illawarra Turf Club chief executive Steve Keene introduced The Warra Club three years ago, and said it has been a hit.

“It’s a unique sponsorship opportunity,” Keene said. “It gives businesses of all sizes, not just one major sponsor, a chance to win naming rights to a feature race on our premier day, and the exposure from that is priceless.”

Tickets and hospitality packages for The Gong raceday are available now via Moshtix, with second release general admission from $25.

Some areas including the official luncheon in the A.J. “Bert” Lillye Lounge have already sold out.

Kembla Grange trainers Kerry Parker, Paul Murray and Mitch Beer and George Carpenter all were successful at today’s Moruya meeting.

Parker’s Mrs Flanders ($2.50 favorite) made it back to back Moruya wins in the Class 1 Handicap (1020m), and Murray’s Cani Cancan ($13) posted her sixth victory, in the Benchmark 66 Handicap (1020m).

Team Beer’s lightly-raced So You Think mare Perchance ($2.80 favorite) broke through in the Maiden Plate (1310m) at only her third start.

Team Beer also had a winner at the corresponding Gosford meeting, Fiftyfivechevy ($3.50) taking the Benchmark 68 Handicap (1600m). PIC SUPPLIED