Organisers of Beef Week Cup Day in Casino have been forced to move the event to Lismore after it was found that the Casino Racetrack was unsafe.
In a disappointing decision for Casino’s horse racing fans, stewards from Racing NSW found that the turf at the racetrack was not of sufficient quality to hold the day long event.
The event, due to take place this Friday (May 27) has now been moved to the Lismore Turf Club.
‘It’s very disappointing,’ Casino Race Club representative John Walker told ABC North Coast this morning.
‘We always knew we were in a battle for time but we always thought it was alright.’
Considerable work had gone into preparing the race track for Friday’s full-day event, including relaying large sections of the circuit with fresh turf.
However, some of the turf had not sufficiently taken, meaning that horses and riders were potentially at risk if the event went ahead.
The forced relocation of the Cup is a blow to Casino’s annual Beef Week event, as the races draw hundreds to the town, providing a significant boost for the local economy.
Mr Walker said it was also a blow to the club, which was counting on gate takings, and food and beverage sales, for its bottom line.
‘It puts the race club under financial strain,’ he said.
‘We’ll be struggling. The next meeting isn’t for a couple of months.
“I feel sorry for the people who come home [to Casino] for Beef Week events.”
“I don’t think they’ll really want to go out to Lismore, and holding it there is really of little benefit for the Club or the town.’