Harness Racing Victoria Board member Geoff Kay yesterday said there was a belief that Sunday’s meeting was the best grassroots harness racing meeting held in the district in a long time.

An estimated 1500 racegoers were trackside at Blackburn Park to watch the Smythes Creek-trained Devilish Smile claim the feature event $25,000 Greggs Electrical Pacing Cup (2809m).

The crowd was treated to a number of exciting finishes across the eight race program – the first local meeting since the then Bracks Labor Government stripped the club of home meetings in March 2005.

Mr Kay, a former Ouyen Harness Racing Club president, said Sunday’s meeting had laid the foundations for future successful cup meetings at Ouyen.

“It was excellent, we had close to 1500 people come through the gates and we had terrific racing,” Mr Kay said.

“We took about $5000 at the gate and we pre-sold about 400 members tickets, which wasn’t included in that total and were worth about another $4000.

“It’s the best grassroots harness racing we have had around the district in a long time.”

Mr Kay paid tribute to the State Government and Racing Minister Denis Napthine for returning racing to six tracks, including Ouyen, after they had been shut down by the former government.

“It’s significant and special that Ouyen was the first of the six clubs to get its racing back,” he said.

Wangaratta will be next to see the return of its cup meeting on March 11, ahead of Boort on March 18. Wedderburn, St Arnaud and Gunbower will follow later in 2012.

Dr Napthine was among the interested on-lookers on Sunday, so to was Member for Mildura Peter Crisp.

Mr Kay said the Ouyen club’s prospects of eventually hosting meetings in addition to its cup event each year would hinge on sustaining crowd numbers at Sunday’s level.

Part owner of the cup winner Devilish Smile, Pam Hockham, who races the pacer with her husband Russell, described the atmosphere at Ouyen as “sensational”.