Horse Racing
15 March, 2026
Take a bow, Birchip
Respected harness racing journalist Paul Courts is the first to admit he hasn't been a fan of slot races like The Eureka & The Nullabor, believing all the hype and promises have delivered little for the industry. However, after spending the day at the "home of the Mallee bull" on Sunday afternoon, soaking up an atmosphere reminiscent of Pamplona in Spain in July, Courts has had a re-think.
Enter the Birchip Harness Racing Club, which rejigged the (slot race) concept to a more true harness racing ‘grassroots’ contest, with its Running of the Bulls.
And after witnessing Sunday's inaugural edition, I’m a slot race convert.
Marketed and targeted to perfection, the $125,000 feature created a buzz akin to an Inter Dominion final, despite being staged nowhere near a capital city and absent of the sport’s equine stars.
This was a race for restricted-class pacers, which gave ‘Joe Battler’ a genuine chance to compete.
In the end, the Running of the Bulls delivered more than it promised – a stellar crowd was crammed into the venue, the atmosphere was electric and the race itself was a thrilling spectacle.
And the exciting finish couldn’t have been better scripted, with Wicked Confession (James Herbertson) scoring by a head from Golden Tribe (Lochie Cook), with Sanchez (Nathan Jack) a half-neck away third.
The SEN-RSN Giddy Up with Gareth Hall slotholders had selected Wicked Confession as their runner in the big race, and given Hall’s Birchip roots, the victory also doubled as a local success.
"It's a great thrill in front of a big crowd,” Hall said.
“I couldn’t even see the finish because of so many people on the fence cheering and I was trying to watch it, but what a thrill.
"For it to be in my hometown makes the whole occasion even better.”
It was a monster effort by the Birchip HRC committee, the local community, and their supporters and sponsors to pull off such a huge event with thousands of man-hours devoted to the track, surrounds and amenities in the leadup up to the long weekend.
The action hotted up on Saturday evening with a huge gathering for the Calcutta, and on Sunday morning it was all hands on deck to meet the demands of racing, OHS, entertainment, media, sponsors, food, drinks, bookmakers, patron amenities and the list goes on.
It didn't stop until late into the night when the band and revellers packed up and at last there was sleep ... at least until the clean-up in the morning.
Bring on the Bulls, Labour Day weekend 2027.