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Cheer On! Bloke’s Day Out is Happening in Ascot

Brisbane Racing Club is hosting a Bloke’s Day Out at the Eagle Farm Racecourse in Ascot. The event, scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. on the 23rd of March 2019, will be open to both club members and the public.

A local black-type race, which features horses with exceptional breeds and have won prestigious races, will be one of the highlights of Bloke’s Day Out. However, there will also be big screens at the venue where guests may follow the 2019 Longines Golden Slipper as it happens live in Sydney.

There will be nine racing times to watch:

Race 1 – 12:18 p.m.
Race 2 – 12:57 p.m.
Race 3 – 1:37 p.m.
Race 4 – 2:17 p.m.
Race 5 – 3:00 p.m.
Race 6 – 3:42 p.m.
Race 7 – 4:18 p.m.
Race 8 – 4:55 p.m.
Race 9 – 5:30 p.m.

*Photo Credit:* *Brisbane Racing Club/Facebook*

Bloke’s Day Out will also feature a workshop from Racing Queensland Hall of Famer Bart Sinclair, who will impart racing tips and other helpful facts for the enthusiasts.

Other guest speakers will also be at the event. Interested parties may follow the Brisbane Racing Club’s events page for an updated list of VIP speakers.

A fun day out with the guys (and their wives and girlfriends, too!) will not be complete without beer and food. There will be a good selection of brewers and food trucks at the air-conditioned bar. Details to these providers will be available during the actual race day.

The event will also feature live music and entertainment when the races are over. Tickets to the Bloke’s Day Out are already up for grabs. Vouchers from BCF Australia will also be distributed to the guests and someone may also win a pallet of beer.

Paint the Town Green at Paddyfest 2019

A bigger and better than ever Paddyfest 2019 is just around the corner, and it will be held at heritage-listed Eagle Farm Racecourse in Ascot on Saturday, 16 March 2019.

People of Irish descent or those who fancy themselves as Irish at heart will be delighted that Paddyfest 2019 promises to be bigger than last year’s inaugural event. It will kick off at midday and run until 10:00 pm. The program boasts of a bunch of treats and a boisterous atmosphere of entertainment all day.

Brisbane's Paddyfest — *Photo credit: Paddyfest Brisbane/Facebook*

This year’s music lineup includes Kingswood, Tullamore Tree, Tartan Shamrock, Shannon Watkins Band, City of Brisbane Pipe Band, Walker’s Irish Dancers, and Leprechaun DJ.

There will be four exciting new zones to explore this year:

Paddyfest Central where you should head to for pints of green beer and Guinness as well as authentic Irish dishes at Diddly Dee Food Truck. You can dance along to the music of the roving pipe band or do the jig with Irish dancers.
O’Donoghue’s Ale House has a setting that makes you feel like you’re in an old Dublin tavern, with soloist ballads playing all day.
Little Leprechauns Kids Zone is a place that the little ones will adore. Adjacent to the Main Stage and Paddyfest Central, children will enjoy the Paddyfest Jumping Castle, Inflatable Hoop shooting activity, paper arts & crafts, circus acts, clover temporary tattoos, green hair spray & emerald body art in a section that’s totally their own. They can visit Bazil Grumble Craft Castle or cuddle adorable farm animals at Scruffy Murphy’s Petting Zoo.
Food & Wine Lane is a relaxing alfresco deck & garden place for those who want to grab a bite of pizza, burrito or other flavours at the many food trucks available. The place will also feature cheese and charcuterie boards as well as cider & wine tastings.

Photo credit: paddyfest.com.au/whats-on/program
Photo credit: paddyfest.com.au/whats-on/program

A festival is not complete without a competition and this event will have two! The Mini Pie & Mushy Pea Eating Comp spotlighting beef mince mini pies, mashed potatoes and mushy peas. The challenge is to eat as much in three minutes.

best dressed lad or lass — *Photo credit: Paddyfest Brisbane/Facebook*

Also remember to wear our lucky Irish outfit – traditional grab, a leprechaun costume, or anything green that makes a statement – and maybe you’ll see yourself crowned as Best Dressed Lad or Lass of Paddyfest.

outfit with a statement — *Photo credit: larsen9236/Pixabay*

The culmination of the event is the epic Laser Light Spectacular at 7:00 pm that is sure to be a huge hit for the whole family.

shamrockin' rollin — *Photo credit: Paddyfest Brisbane/Facebook*

So let’s dress up in green, raise our Guinness and let the luck of the Irish be with us as we have a shamrockin’ good time at Paddyfest 2019.

For event and ticket details, click here.

For directions to the venue, click here.

Priceline Pharmacy Ascot Presents Girls’ Day Out in Eagle Farm Racecourse

Photo credit: Brisbane Racing Club/ brc.com.au

It’s time to call the squad and have a day of pampering, unlimited flowing beverages, and entertainment at the Brisbane Racing Club’s Girls’ Day Out presented by the Priceline Pharmacy Ascot!

The event will be at the heritage-listed Eagle Farm Racecourse, at the northern end of Racecourse Road in Ascot. The gates and the functions will be open to the public at 10:30 am and 11:30 am respectively.

The Brisbane Racing Club will set up a complimentary Pamper Station to keep participants looking their best throughout the day. There will be a Henna Tattoo Pop-Up and live DJ beats to make it more fun.

Get ready to be delighted with the all-male group Scarlet Sons as they perform their electrifying dance, acrobatics and cirque. The Queens of the Track, who appeared in the Girls’ Day out stage many times, will crack you up with their comedy and fabulous moves. Check out the list below to see the schedule of events for the Girls’ Day Out:

Meet Ambassador Georgia Love

Saturday, 23 February 2019 (11:30 am)

The Bachelorette former star Georgia Love is the Ambassador for Girls’ Day Out 2019. Following her stint at the reality TV dating game show, Love landed a gig as a news reporter. She will talk about her background in Journalism at the Inspirational Ladies’ Lunch.

Love will be joined by The Urban List CEO & Founder Susannah George and CocoBliss Co-Founder Candice Kemp as the inspirational guest speakers.

Buy Tickets Here

Fashions On The Field Competition

Saturday, 23 February 2019 (10:00 am for the opening of registration; 11:45 am for closing of registration; 12:00 nn for the beginning of the competition)

Enter the “Fashions on the Field” contest sponsored by SHEIKE and win hundreds of dollars in prizing. The winner will bring home a $500 SHEIKE voucher along with a few more giveaways like the En Pointe Collective earrings, Vogue Living magazine, and assorted cosmetics. The finalists will also go home with gift bags valued at over $100.

La-bOum Perform Live!

Saturday, 23 February 2019 (5:45 pm – 7:00 pm)

Pop-music band La bOum will take center stage as they play their hits. The three-member band, who performs all over Queenslands’ best nightclubs and also residents at Cloudland in Fortitude Valley, is known for their energetic and fun performances.

For tickets and packages, check out the Brisbane Racing Club Racedays.

Read: Glamorous Girls’ Day Out in Ascot to Benefit Gynaecological Cancer Research

Construction Begins For Brisbane Racing Club’s Restored Ascot Park This February

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Ten years ago, members of the Racecourse Precinct Neighbourhood Plan agreed that part of the Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) should be turned over to Ascot Park. In particular, the area that covers Lancaster Rd, Kitchener Rd, and McGill Ave, was supposed to be converted as a public park in a bid to create more green space for the residents.

Before the turnover, this triangle of land, surrounded by cement, dirt, patches of grass and scattered trees, served as a car park for members of the club. But in May 2018, the Brisbane City Council revealed plans for the park’s construction.

Work on the public park is expected to February until September 2019. Once completed, the park will have more accessible greenery. It will boast of the main park with tables and benches for families and kids, an outdoor gym and fitness corner, a fenced playground for the children, and an off-leash dog area.

Ascot Park has always part of the Eagle Farm racetrack facilities, which had been built in the 1860s. Hamilton Shire Council used to own and manage the park until it merged with the Brisbane City Council in the 1940s.

During the war, General Douglas MacArthur used Ascot Park as a storage site and parking space for military vehicles. It remained a car park long after the military left and the Brisbane Racing Club took over.

On days when there are no races, the park provided access to the locals but the development will allow for a better facility that the community shall be able to maximise.

According to Councillor David McLachlan (Hamilton), BRC submitted a master plan to redevelop the Eagle Farm estate. Originally, the club wanted to develop townhomes on this triangular area, which he opposed. The Brisbane City Council, however, approved the master plan after BRC agreed it will turn over the park to the community.

Following the release of the design for the park’s construction, BRC chairman Neville Bell commended the Council for a devising a “more appealing” area of the once vast and vacant parking lot.

Ascot’s House Rental Increase: One of Brisbane’s Fastest in 2018

Ascot is among Brisbane’s best performing suburbs in 2018 in terms of house rental increase, according to the Domain Rental Report for December quarter 2018.

Ascot recorded one of the highest rental increase for houses with a 14.20 percent year-on-year and 0.80 percent five-year increase, or a median rent price of $645, according to the report. On the other hand, data from realestate.com.au shows the median house rental price per week in Ascot at $708, based on 94 house listings from 1 January 2018 to 27 January 2019. Ascot’s median house rental price is higher than QLD average of $400.

Ascot is joined by Manly and South Brisbane as the top three best performing suburbs for house rentals with year-on-year change of 14.50 percent and 13.70 percent, respectively. Rounding out the top ten are Nudgee, Tarragindi, Fairfield, Petrie Terrace, Dakabin, Banyo, and East Brisbane.

The top performing suburbs for units rental list shows Holland Park taking the top spot with a 12.10 percent increase year-on-year. Completing the list are Clontarf, Bardon, South Brisbane, Balmoral, Herston, Bulimba, Alderley, Coorparoo, Fairfield, and Mount Gravatt. Overall, the median asking rent for units rose to 5.4 percent over the past year.

The rental price increases may well indicate an overall turnaround happening across Brisbane rental market, from the previous supply glut that affected dwelling demand in 2017. Also, according to property valuation firm SQM Research, Brisbane’s rental vacancies fell to 2.8 percent in August 2018 as compared to 3.4 percent from a year before.

As Queensland overtakes Victoria as the most popular destination for interstate migration as of June 2018 — thanks to better economy, employment opportunities, and access to good schools — Brisbane housing market is starting to become a landlord’s market with rental asking prices expected to rise, as vacancy rates continue to fall.

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Ascot Among Best Primary Schools in Brisbane for 2018

As part of their annual school rankings, Better Education Australia recently announced that St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School is one of the top primary schools in Brisbane for 2018, with a State Overall Score of 100.

Better Education ranks schools according to their academic performance index every year. The rankings from their website are great references for the top performing schools in Brisbane as well as the entire state. The Better Education school rankings page also allows people to compare schools and check the trend of their rankings over the years.

For the primary schools, the ranking was mainly based on information from the NAPLAN or National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy test results. Although the site lists several schools, not all primary schools in Queensland are being compared on the website.

Better Education’s List of Top Primary Schools in Brisbane for 2018

Better Education compared a total of 150 primary schools in Brisbane for 2018. Out of these schools, eleven were able to get a State Overall Score of 100. The primary schools that got the highest score include six state schools and five private schools.

Top Private Primary Schools in Brisbane – 2018. Photo credit: Better Education Australia

Along with St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Better Education’s top non-government primary schools for 2018 are St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, Brisbane Grammar School, Clayfield College, and Somerville House.

Top Public Primary Schools in Brisbane – 2018. Photo credit: Better Education Australia

On the other hand, the government schools with the highest scores include Rainworth State School, MacGregor State School, Ashgrove State School, Ironside State School, Wishart State School, and Indooroopilly State School.

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School score trend from 2012-2018. Photo credit: Better Education Australia

In the past few years, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School was able to stay on top of the rankings. The tables above show the school’s performance from 2012 to 2018.

Even though Better Education enlists many schools in Queensland, the Department of Education is not endorsing their school rankings. However, these rankings can still serve as a guide for parents or for anyone who is looking for the best possible schools across the state.

Better Education’s rankings for primary schools are mainly based on NAPLAN test results. There are still other factors to consider when identifying the best schools throughout Queensland. Parents are still encouraged to do more research about a school before deciding which one is the best fit for their children.

Kingsford Smith Drive River Walk Opens

Brisbane City Council has officially opened the much awaited Kingsford Smith Drive River Walk. Locals can now enjoy walking, running, or cycling at the River Walk whilst taking in the beautiful view.

The 1.2-kilometre project is a part of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade providing a new landmark for Brisbane. The Kingsford Smith Drive River Walk stretches from Bretts Wharf in the east to Cameron Rocks Reserve in the west.

Credit: Brisbane City Council/YouTube

Kingsford Smith Drive Upgrade

The Kingsford Smith Drive offers a major gateway to the city for tourists, visitors, and residents. More than just a road project, the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade involves the transformation of the site into a vibrant urban corridor. The improvements aim to maximise public access to the river and reinforce Brisbane’s identity as a new world city.

Credit: Brisbane City Council/YouTube

Built along the Brisbane River at Hamilton, the new River Walk has a dedicated two-metre wide riverside pedestrian path apart from the three-metre-wide, two-way off-road cycle path.

The Kingsford Smith Drive River Walk is the latest addition to Brisbane’s world-class active transport network. It provides users with unique views of the iconic Brisbane River and CBD and allows residents and visitors to explore the area’s dining, boutique shopping, and retail precincts.

Have a look at the construction of the Kingsford Smith Drive River Walk from June 2016 to December 2018.

Credit: Brisbane City Council/YouTube

For further information, visit the official Kingsford Smith Drive River Walk page.

Watch Christmas Movies on Ascot’s Big Screen on the Green

Did you know that the biggest screen in the Southern hemisphere is in Ascot?

Located at Ascot’s Eagle Farm Racecourse, Big Screen on the Green is embracing the festive spirit with a great line-up of classic Christmas movies.

From Monday, 17 December 2018 to Friday, 21 December 2018, Eagle Farm Racecourse is going to be filled with the sights and sounds of Christmas. Prior to the movie screening, several free activities such as face painting, Christmas carols playing, and a meet-and-greet with Santa will be up for the whole family to enjoy.

Have a great picnic on the lawn whilst viewing the Christmas movies on the screen. BYO food and beverages are not allowed in the event, however, there will be plenty of options on the night.

Picnic hampers will also be available for purchase. All you got to do is bring your own bean bags, cushions, blankets or rugs.

Admission and Package Inclusions

General Admission requires a gold coin donation on the day of the event (located on the public lawn). You may pre-register your attendance to receive a free Frozen Fanta (orange or red) on arrival. Food and beverage available for purchase.

The Movie Pack costs $10 per person and includes the following:

Access to Eagle Farm Racecourse and the Public Lawn
A large Popcorn
Beverage (your choice of a glass of house wine/sparkling, house beer or a non-alcoholic beverage)

Big Screen on the Green Movie Schedules

Elf – Rated PG

Monday, 17, December 2018

General Admission

Movie Pack $10 per person

Buy Hamper Pack for $20 – $85

Home Alone – Rated PG

Tuesday, 18 December 2018

General Admission

Movie Pack $10 per person

Buy Hamper Pack for $20 – $85

The Santa Clause – Rated PG

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

General Admission

Movie Pack $10 per person

Buy Hamper Pack for $20 – $85

The Muppet Christmas Carol – Rated G

Thursday, 20 December 2018

General Admission

Movie Pack $10 per person

Buy Hamper Pack for $20 – $85

Polar Express – Rated G

Friday, 21 December 2018

General Admission

Movie Pack $10 per person

Buy Hamper Pack for $20 – $85

Doomben Line Gets Biggest Number of Train Upgrades

Doomben line gets a major boost as it receives the biggest number of train upgrades. Train services upgrades involve the replacement of three-car trains with six-car units on 193 Queensland Rail services.

According to Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey, the new services would increase carrying capacity by more than 46,000 seats a week across the Queensland Rail network.

Passengers are already benefiting from the upgrades on the Beenleigh, Shorncliffe, Ferny Grove, Cleveland, Northgate, and Doomben lines.

Train Service Upgrades

Queensland Rail has been focusing on upgrading the Monday to Friday services rather than at weekends when fewer people travel.

“Of the 193 services where capacity will be doubled, 40 are classified as high patronage where average seated capacity occupancy rates are more than 80%,” Mr Bailey said.

Receiving the most train upgrades, Doomben line will have 44 services per week upgraded from three-car to six-car trains on weekdays. For others, the Beenleigh line will have 38 services per week, Shorncliffe with 24, Ferny Grove with 38, Cleveland with 36, Northgate with 12, and Ipswich/ Rosewood will only have one.

Few of the three-car trains are still required to run during peak periods due to current operational restrictions. However, a six-carriage train will precede and follow each of these to assist with customer loading.

Mr Bailey said that only 171 three-car services will remain on Monday to Friday timetable. One hundred of these are on the Rosewood shuttle. Queensland Rail won’t be upgrading these trains due to infrastructure limitations on the Rosewood line and low demand.

“Current patronage numbers also show the three-carriage trains meets demand on that line at weekends when patronage is lower.”

The train service upgrades come from 37 New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) units which are now available for service. Queensland Rail will consider further upgrades as more NGR units become available.

Check the latest Doomben line timetable here.

Eagle Farm Racecourse Set To Reopen This Summer

Following their efforts in restoring the tracks, Eagle Farm Racecourse is getting ready to reopen the tracks for races before Christmas.

Eagle Farm Racecourse has been mostly out of operation over the past four years due to problems with the re-laying of the track surface. Once the track refurbishments are complete, BRC plans to have 35 race meetings per year, rather than the usual 50, until the newly laid track is tough enough.

The Eagle Farm Racecourse is expected to be fully restored in three years’ time. Until then, the new tracks will be given time to rest in between race meetings.

Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) General Manager Racing Matt Rudolph recognised the importance of monitoring the recovery of Eagle Farm once the racing starts again.

“A big focus of this track will be its recovery so we can ascertain early how many races and meetings we can run here,” Mr Rudolph said.

“For next year’s Brisbane Racing Carnival, we’ll be looking at running the Kingsford Smith Cup meeting at Eagle Farm with a two-week break then into the Stradbroke meeting. That will ensure the track is at its best for our premier meeting.”

Mr Rudolph also mentioned how the tracks can benefit from rest. He said that Doomben racecourse races superbly after a quick renovation.

Mounting yard in use pre-race at Doomben. Photo credit: kgbo/Wikimedia Commons

Racing Queensland consultant Mick Goodie is the one overseeing the refurbishment of the tracks. He is optimistic about the track’s current progress.

“The track is improving by the day. It has improved immensely in the last few weeks,” Mr Goodie said.

He also said that he is happy with the results of the restoration. He is making sure that the track will be excellent to race on and that “they race consistently and they race fairly”. So far, he is happy with the results of the restoration.

“Everything we are doing here is about getting a good racing surface for a long period of time.”