They are promoting their Breeders' Day race meeting on Saturday as an event for friends, family and fabulous racing.
Although the race day itself is well established on the southern racing calendar, the on-course entertainment that will complement Saturday's meeting is a totally new concept.
The club is aiming to turn the race day into the ultimate community event by combining quality racing with a food festival.
The concept aims to enhance the experience of committed racegoers as well as attract those are just looking for a good day out, chief executive Hannah Catchpole said.
''Not everyone is 100% race-focused. We are trying to give people different things, to provide a whole day out.
The food festival will feature a raft of local businesses at Wingatui on Saturday with their specialty offerings. The range includes winemakers and food and beverage stalls.
''We are often sitting at the racecourse with this magnificent landscape. Otago has good food and wine, so let's celebrate it.''
Part of the drive behind the event is to compete with the extensive range of other options the public can choose to spend their entertainment dollars on.
''There so much choice for people.
''Not everyone is going to ... want to spend six hours at the races. But they might want to look around something different, have a picnic, socialise with their friends and enjoy the racing at the same time.''
''We are really conscious of giving people more value for money.''
The days of the action on the track being the only draw to the races appear to be over. That means there is more focus from racing clubs to attract a wider audience. The Otago Racing Club hopes this event will do that by engaging with the local community, not just those interested in racing.
Events such as last week's Kensington Oval Night Noodle Market and the Dunedin Beer Festival were examples of successful local events in whose footsteps the club would like to follow, Catchpole said.
''We are starting small. We would love to grow it, that it became an annual event that was on the calendar and had heaps of vendors in five years' time.''
The club has attracted a strong number and high standard of nominations for Saturday's meeting.
Residential heads the nominations for the meeting's feature, the $50,000 listed 1400m 3yr-old fillies' event.
The John and Karen Parsons-trained filly will be looking for a listed hat-trick after winning the Dunedin and Southland Guineas in her past two starts. Her stablemate, Starvoia, who chased Residential into second in both of those wins, is also nominated.
The Peter Rudkin-trained Dontpokethetiger is also nominated to line up in the event and could prove tougher opposition for the pair this time after she raced erratically and ran down the track in the Southland Guineas.
The cause of her hanging and skying her head up in that race was later believed to be due to a dental issue, which has since been resolved, Rudkin told the Racing Integrity Unit.
The open 1200m race nominations include group 3 White Robe Lodge handicap winner Coulee.
Son of Maher, who chased Coulee in that win heads the open 1600m race nominations.
-By Jonny Turner
