Around The Traps with Gus Underwood

The clubhouse extensions boast a new 200 seat alfresco area, new office and renovated clubhouse.

The $700,000-plus improvements have been financed by a $200,000 Federal Government grant under the Building Better Regions Fund plus considerable donations from the Bendigo Bank, the Kyabram Club, a generously supported community fund raiser and golf club members.

Work started on the project last March and the alfresco area has already been unofficially christened with functions, including weddings, funerals and work functions.

Mr Sutherland, who will be accompanied by his wife Heidi at the official opening, was Cricket Australia’s chief executive officer from 2001 to 2018.

Their son Will and daughter Annabel are currently making their mark at the elite level in Australian Cricket.

Will made his List A debut for the Cricket Australia XI against Pakistan during their tour of Australia in 2017 the same year he took a multi-year deal with Victoria, rather than playing AFL football.

He is currently captaining Victoria’s state side and plays for Renegades in the Big Bash League.

Annabel plays for the national women’s cricket team as an all-rounder. At the domestic level, she plays for Victoria in the Women’s National Cricket League and the Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash competition.

Mr Sutherland is leading a period of major growth in golf and Parkland is absolutely delighted that he has agreed to come to Kyabram to open the facility and inspect one of Australia’s premier par three golf courses.

Dave’s big result

Dave Farrar certainly had a Melbourne Cup to remember.

The Shepparton trots trainer and former Kyabramite created Kyabram Club Calcutta history when he decided to purchase his top fancy for the famous race Without A Fight at the club’s auction of horses on cup eve.

He spent $1000 on tickets for the Calcutta and was a little disappointed when he drew a rank outsider Sheraz whom he promptly sold at the auction for $700.

It was a decision that cost Farrar $5063 as Sheraz ended up finishing third in the race that stops a nation.

But Farrar was far from finished.

The very next horse auctioned was Without A Fight and he parted with $4600 to purchase him – a decision he will now remember for ever.

He even didn’t have all this money on him to pay up at the auction and he arranged to square up his account on cup morning, making a special trip from Shepparton to do so.

When Without A Fight kicked clear of his rivals near the finishing line Farrar was suddenly $30 000 richer.

This is a record first prize dividend in the Calcutta which the club has conducted for 61 years.

While there were 12 925 tickets sold in the auction _ actually 350 tickets less than year _ the total pool from the auction amounted to $50 625, which was another record.

And what does Farrar do with his windfall?

‘‘I’m getting a bit old to get more horses to train but I’m sure I’ll work something out.

‘‘I have been attending the Calcutta for the past

38 years and have won it twice previously but it’s nice that this one had a record pay out, particularly

when you have won it by yourself.’’

Square dinkum

G’day

In BEER there is WISDOM

In WHISKEY there is COMFORT

In GUINNESS there is STRENGTH

In WATER there is BACTERIA

You decide.

Hooroo!!!

Where’s the rain

While some areas in the district received 30mm plus, Kyabram Weather Station registered only 8.2mm in storms last week.

Tongala received 17.2mm at its recording point but most readings fluctuated with some areas missing out completely.

There were reports of town gauges in and around Kyabram registering up to 25mm or more.

Maximum temperatures have exceeded 30 degrees for times in the past week with last Saturday’s top of 35.8 degrees the warmest so far this summer.

Magnificent milestone

It’s a notable milestone and there would be few could boast its history.

Shepparton business Furphy Foundry and J Furphy and Sons have been in business this year for 150 years.

Originally based at Kyneton, the Shepparton business has won world wide fame for its famous Water Cart, a World War 1 icon from which the ‘‘furphy’’ saying originated from.

Hall jailed following fatal collision

A Patho woman has received a jail term of at least two years for her role in a 2022 road collision at Torrumbarry in which mother of three, Christine Stewart, 29, died.

Rebecca Jane Hall, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing death in the Bendigo County Court earlier this month.

Stewart died on January 25, 2022 when her Mitsubishi Triton utility was rear-ended by a Ford Ranger driven by Hall utility on the Murray Valley Hwy.

Teenager killed after car strikes tree

An 18-year-old Shepparton woman died after her car left the Euroa-Mansfield Rd on Saturday, November 4, and struck a tree.

The accident happened about 4pm and the woman was airlifted to a Melbourne hospital where she later died.

Crime Stoppers is seeking any who may have witnessed or has information on the accident.

Motorist caught doing more than double the speed

A 20-year-old motorist has been nabbed for driving at more than the double the speed limit near Cobram.

He was clocked at 169km/h on Labuan Rd on November 4.

Speed limit on the road was dropped to 80km/h in mid October.

He was charged on summons for driving a dangerous speed.

DID YOU KNOW………

1. Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world

2. Australia is as wide as the distance between London and Moscow.

3. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure in the world – is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs and can be seen from space.

4. K’gari / Fraser Island (QLD) is the largest sand island in the world.