Thaindian News

Gold Coast, Sept 28 (ANI): The Gold Coast in Australia is set to hold its first bikini-clad women race on the racecourse, which will become an annual event at the race meeting of the summer season.

The Gold Coast Turf Club came up with the plan, which will see up to 150 women, who must wear bikinis and running shoes, compete through a knockout system for a first prize of 5000 dollars.

The event is the brainchild of eccentric chairman Andrew Eggleston, and has been copied from America’s famed Hollywood Park racecourse, which holds a similar event with success annually.

Turf Club chief executive Grant Sheather acknowledged some may see the event as degrading, but declared it would become an annual race to spice up and promote the summer season of racing.

“There will be some people that raise their eyebrows, that is to be expected,” Goldcoast.com.au quoted him as saying.

“When people say ‘Gold Coast’ you think of beach, you think of girls and you think of bikinis, it’s a marketing ploy to build racing.

“It will be done in good taste and we are trying to attract some competitive runners, we want to see the sports stars, the surf lifesaving stars, it would be ideal if they took it out,” he stated.

Gold Coast based Women In Racing group last night said they would support anything which promotes racing, but conceded there could be better ways to market the industry.

“Any publicity is good publicity, but I feel using ladies jumping out of the barriers is akin to someone jumping out of a birthday cake,” director Jennifer Bartels said.

“We love anyone who will promote racing, but perhaps this isn’t quite racing. Good luck to them though,” she added.

Area councillor Susie Douglas said she was bewildered by the race, but said it would achieve the marketing and talking point the club hoped for.

“We’re a coastal city, we have lots of beautiful women, if they want to have fun that’s fine,” she stated. (ANI)