By Charlotte Dickie
Strategic Media Manager,
Public Affairs and Communications, RVL

Following the untimely death of Victorian jockey Mark Goring as a result of a race fall at Tatura in January, a fund was established by the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry to raise money for Mark's family.

On behalf of his wife Emma and their twoyear- old daughter Madellin -and a second child due in late March, collections were taken at all Victorian race meetings throughout the Australia Day weekend.

The Victorian public were also able to make donations to the Mark Goring Fund at any PubTAB or TAB agency and they have been generous in their gifts.

A 'Sportsman's Night' organised by Cranbourne based trainer Len Treloar was held at Caulfield Racecourse on Wednesday 5th February and it was well attended by over 700 racing fans.

Highlights of the evening included a sports panel consisting of Sam Newman, Rex Hunt, Damien Oliver, Michelle Timms and Sue Stanley, music by Mike Brady and a tribute dedicated to the jockey fraternity by famed racing poet Rupert McCall.

A premier auction, a silent auction and a raffle held on the night contributed to an overall fund total of $345,000.
Included in the donated goods for the auctions were two $500 betting vouchers courtesy of the Victorian Bookmaker's Association and a "Punter's Package" from Michael Eskander.

This unique package consisted of four $1000 lots for picking the winners of the upcoming Blue Diamond Stakes, the Australian Cup, the Golden Slipper Stakes and the Doncaster Handicap.

A voucher to win $100,000 on a Caulfield/Melbourne Cup double was also donated by Eskander, as was a $1000 win bet on the 2003 Melbourne Cup.

Graham Duff, Chairman of Racing Victoria Limited, thanked the hundreds of people who gave goods, services, cash and their time to achieve the outstanding result.

"The support for Emma and the children has been extraordinary. The appeal and function has not just been a case of the racing community looking after one of its own – this has been a response from the community as a whole."

"The generosity of so many people and the commitment to the cause created such a wave of goodwill that it was almost impossible to stop," he continued.

"When Len Treloar first put forward his idea for a 'Sportsman's Night', his sole aim was to raise enough money to ensure that Mark and Emma's children received a good education. I'm delighted to think that the racing community and beyond has banded together so well to help Len achieve his goal."

Other highlights of the night included the auction of a service fee to the hot young stallion Encosta De Lago (sire of the Australian Guineas winner Delago Brom) which was bought for $30,000 while a racehorse owner from Geelong paid $19,000 for a trip to a Manchester United soccer match in England for his 12-year-old daughter who is an avid David Beckham fan.

Mark Goring was just 23 when he passed away and his memory will live fondly in the minds of those who knew him. A talented and popular young rider, he loved his sport and his family.