Mr Cooper has been a member of the club for 30 years and this is his 22nd year as president.

During that time he has seen the racetrack move from its former location at the Goulburn Recreation Area to its lush new home on Taralga Rd.

The Goulburn Racetrack is now considered by many in the racing industry as one of the finest country racetracks in the nation and Mr Cooper has been instrumental in that transformation.

Mr Cooper was at pains to stress that his decision to depart as president was done with good intentions and he joked that current vice-president Mr Ikin has “been in training” for the president’s role for the past seven years.

“I have not been voted out. I have handed over the reins to Ken,” Mr Cooper said.

“It is time to pass the reins over and Ken is the right man to pass them to.”

Mr Cooper has been with the club since it is was based out at its former location at the Recreation Area.

“We used to rent the land off council out there and we used to get a lot of help from them for its maintenance, etc - but when we came out here we were on our own and we had a new identity to establish,” Mr Cooper said.

“We had a lot of voluntary help, but we had to work long and hard to make sure the place ran smoothly. We still have a few challenges ahead. A new function centre is planned and I would like to see Goulburn and District racing Club become a Provincial club and I believe it can be.

“Goulburn should join the ranks of other Provincial-classified clubs, such as Wyong, Gosford, Newcastle, Kembla Grange and Hawkesbury.”

At the moment, Goulburn is listed among the 114 country clubs. This theme was echoed by Racing Club secretary Greg Wilson.

“Goulburn already fulfills the requirements of becoming a Provincial club but it is a decision made by the industry. I am sure it will come to this club, but I am not sure when,” Mr Wilson said.

“The racetrack is a great promotion of the city - when people see the track on television they they see a world-class facility - they are associating Goulburn with a success. Fred is part of that success.”

Mr Wilson paid tribute to Mr Cooper and said his involvement would continue because he is staying on as vice president for the next two years and also as chairman of the grounds.

“This is the next step in the process of the evolution of the club. Ken now steps into the major role. Fred will stay on as his deputy for guidance,” Mr Wilson said.

“Fred is the only person that has seen this place through from inception to completion and successful handover.

“There have been so many challenges and the one man who has been there whole time is Fred. Today it is a very successful racing club held in high opinion by all.”

Mr Ikin said one of his most gratifying days that he had been involved with the club was the naming of the Fred Cooper building in December, 2010.

“Fred was here when it was just a cow paddock,” Mr Ikin said.

“He has been the guiding force in building it up into what it is today - one of the best racing tracks in the nation. We are held in high esteem by Racing NSW and by punters across the country.”

Mr Ikin said the recent spring calendar events at the Goulburn and District Racing Club showed the club was going from strength to strength.

“If it is not already the biggest sporting event in Goulburn, the The Girls Day Out will certainly be in the future,” he said.

“The Girls Day Out, The Goulburn Workers Club Anniversary Cup and Children’s Day and the Goulburn Cup were all very successful events this year.

“We are also locked into Championship Series on February 20, where we have the leading heat of these championships,” Mr Ikin said.

Mr Wilson said the club will also be holding a Men’s Health Day event on April 2 next year.

“We are looking for the support of the city for that event - hopefully we can give more support to men’s health issues,” he said.

Apart from having the main building at the track named after him, the club will also be celebrating the the sixth running of the Fred Cooper Cup on December 10.

The new committee elected on November 23 at the club’s AGM comprises: president Ken Ikin, vice president Fred Cooper, treasurer Kevin Hay, and members Frank Downing, Colleen Goth, Stephen Lamond, Susan Leahy, Kathryn Pengilley, John Reynolds and Raymond Wilkinson.

Outgoing members of the committee, Len McIntyre and Justin Gay, did not re-nominate.