Communities holding hope for their cup day

For many communities, their race day is the biggest get together of the year, and after last year's events were forced to run behind closed doors, there is a real fear that once again clubs will be forced to conduct their events without spectators.

Horsham and District Racing Club's next meet is on Monday September 20, before the Horsham Cup on Sunday October 17.

Clubs, themselves, will continue on due to industry funding, but towns don't see that revenue.

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Horsham and District Racing Club president Jason Merlo, said he, like many, was hanging onto every word from the state government.

"We've just got to wait and see what the government say," Merlo said.

"(Without spectators) we'll lose a fair bit of money.

"It's just not the same, you've got to have a crowd. It's ok watching it on tv, but it's not like when you're there and the horses are cruising past and you've got people betting on them. It's a totally different atmosphere.

"Plus you've got fashions on the field. We were trying to get a few local wineries involved this year as well."

Similarly, Dunkeld Racing Club manager Lisa Evans, who also manages tracks at Kyneton and Hanging Rock, is "hopeful" that the club will be able to welcome patrons for their November 13 meet.

"I think the biggest loss of not having crowds is to the wider community who benefit from our race day. The school, the football club, they all participate in the day," Evans said.

"There's the local retailers, accommodation venues. Yes, there's a loss to the club in terms of lost revenue, we have been able to continue to receive support from sponsors and the racing industry.

"As a small race club we live to create an event to the region and for the town."

Country Racing Victoria's media and communications manager Maggie Payne said while TAB meetings would continue, the loss to the community to not have patrons on course would be shattering for a lot of towns.

"Right now, events like Avoca, Dunkeld, bookings are strong, it was be devastating for those towns to miss out again," she said. "Towns like Mortlake, Penshurst, there's more people that go to the races than live in the town. As country towns get smaller and people move away, the race day is that chance for people to get back to town."

Payne said while sponsors and memberships have remained strong, she admitted there would come a tipping point at some stage if restrictions continued.

"There's so much uncertainty, it's about preparation, you can't make a decision the day before the event," she said. "You've got volunteers who are putting in long hours or nights in preparing the track, that work has to be done, the marquees, the local catering. I've got no doubt clubs would love any opportunity even if it's only a few hundred.

"It seems an eternity ago we had 12,000 at Warrnambool in May. Clubs are preparing for crowds, let's hope we can get back to that."

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