THE first conversation I heard at the annual St George races yesterday was an exchange in Japanese.

In the jockeys' room well before the opening race, Masayuki (Massa to his mates) Abe and Maoki Ogabi, or just plain Nok, were having a bit of banter in their native tongue.

Not that they want to be segregated from their riding colleagues. Or the Queensland bush race atmosphere.

In fact, they have warmly embraced just what a country meeting is all about.

It was a wonderful experience at St George yesterday as part of the City to the Bush trip for corporates and friends from Brisbane, an initiative of Brisbane Racing Club chief executive Stephen Ferguson to raise money towards a flood relief drive.

There were hundreds of others from surrounding towns, all kindred bush spirits who flocked to St George to offer moral support for a community which has been bashed relentlessly by Mother Nature.

Years of drought have been followed by four floods in the past three years, the latest in February.

What better way to restore lost confidence than a bush race gathering? All are equal on the racetrack. Money can't buy a winner.

Or the sheer fun of gathering around a track in the west.

Rubbing shoulders with locals were Racing Minister Steve Dickson, Racing Queensland Limited chairman Kevin Dixon, Broncos chief executive Paul White and publicans like Michael White, Chris Condon and Bob Porter.

The Minister assured anxious country racing enthusiasts there would be more to come.

Bush racing is prominent in the Newman Government vision for the racing industry.

Nok is an interesting study. He was a carpenter in Japan until he decided on a career change four years ago.

In response to an advertisement, Nok applied for entry into a racing trainee program run out of Taree in New South Wales. Now 31, he is 18 months into an apprenticeship with Matt Kropp at Dalby.

I caught up with an old mate Ken Waller, now training in Toowoomba, but an old hand on Queensland bush tracks. He rode the St George Cup winner on his last trip to this town 25 years ago.

And Katie Page dragged along her husband Gerry Harvey to the town where she spent five years as a schoolgirl when her father ran the local bank.