Tomorrow week — Thursday, November 28 — has been locked in for former Kyabram boy Danny O’Brien’s return to the town with this year’s Melbourne Cup.
An organising committee led by Don McKenzie and backed by the Kyabram Club has put a program in place for the Kyabram district community to welcome the cup-winning trainer back to the town he was raised in.
Danny, who will bring Australia’s and one of the world’s most famous racing trophies with him, said yesterday he is eagerly looking forward to the visit now the date has been confirmed.
‘‘It’s great some members of the Kyabram community have had the initiative to have invited me and my family back to acknowledge and to share in the win,” he said.
“I’m very appreciative and I’m looking forward to catching up with friends from my time in Kyabram and everyone else who rocks up on the day.”
Danny will head straight to his old school, St Augustine’s, when he arrives.
He will spend about at an hour at the school from 11.30am before embarking on a street parade down Church St to Allan St, which will start at 12.15pm.
One of his former St Augustine’s teachers, Brian O’Meara, will chauffeur Danny in his open-back Austin Healy sports car in the parade, which will be led by the Kyabram SES unit.
There will be a public ‘welcoming home’ and congratulatory ceremony after the parade in the front of the Kyabram Town Hall in which Danny will be prepared to sign memorabilia, donated by the Kyabram Free Press, of his famous win.
After the ceremony, to be compered by David Blake, Danny will head for a tour of Warramunda.
After these visits he will wind up his visit at a ticketed function at the Kyabram Club.Everyone is welcome at this function and can attend for $25, which includes finger food.
The function will feature an interview with Danny by former Kyabramite Ian Purdey, who is a close friend of the trainer.
Any profits from this function will go the Kyabram Hospital.
Tickets to this function can be acquired from Ky Lucky Lotto in Allan St.