Manangatang Cup cancelled for 2020 due to coronavirus
Another iconic country event has succumbed to coronavirus restrictions.
THIS year’s Manangatang Cup has been cancelled.
The iconic race meeting, which was scheduled for October 10, was one of three non-TAB country meetings which Racing Victoria announced today had been cancelled “due to the uncertainty of whether any crowds will be able to attend”.
The Gunbower Cup meeting on October 3 and a meeting at Wodonga on October 17 have also been cancelled. The three will not be rescheduled this season.
“With a large part of the success of non-TAB meetings built on community engagement, attendance and tourism which is not currently possible due to COVID-19, the difficult decision was made to cancel these upcoming country meetings in October,” said Racing Victoria executive general manager of racing Greg Carpenter.
“We appreciate that this decision is extremely disappointing for the clubs affected and their communities and I would like to extend our sincere thanks for their co-operation and understanding in these challenging times.”
Manangatang Racing Club posted the news on its Facebook page this afternoon.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the 2020 Manang Races have been cancelled. But we are already working with Country Racing Victoria to ensure our iconic event returns bigger and better than ever in 2021.”
Gunbower Racing Club confirmed its event’s cancellation earlier this week days ago, posting on Facebook “The bloody Rona has got us”.
“The health and safety of our community will always come first and it comes with great sadness that our 2020 race day is cancelled.
“A huge thank you goes out to Country Racing Victoria and Racing Victoria who have tried their utmost to get us over the line however new restrictions have made it impossible for us to continue on.
“Our race day has always been about our crowds and our community and if we can’t have either of those involved there is no race day for us.
“Lock in 2 October 2021!”
Meanwhile, two TAB meetings scheduled for Mildura on September 4 and 21 have been transferred to Donald and Ararat, respectively.
Mildura has not hosted a race meeting since March when biosecurity protocols were introduced to reduce the travel required by participants and officials. Mildura Cup Day was held in Swan Hill last month.
Mr Carpenter acknowledged the “sacrifices they [Mildura Racing Club] have made for the industry”.
Racing Victoria said further decisions on other non-TAB meetings and picnic meetings scheduled across the second half of October and the first half of November would be made next month.
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