While pacing has been a part of Maitland's rich sporting history since 1927, the first televised TAB race meeting was held at the Maitland Showground track on January 13, 1968.

Today's nine-race card marks the end of that 36-year tradition.

When Harness Racing NSW's strategic plan is implemented on July 1, 2004, Maitland Harness Racing Club will cease to be a TAB racing facility, with the track to be retained for training and trialing only.

But, HRNSW's original plan to stop all racing at the track after June 30 took a unexpected turn back in May, when the Wyong Harness Racing Club chose not to run its allocated non-TAB races for the 2004/2005 calendar.

The move saw the industry's peak body offer the meetings to Maitland - on the understanding it was for the next racing calendar only.

Maitland Harness Racing Club secretary Mark Newton said local participants did not view today as the end of an era - but the beginning of a new phase in the club's history.

"All we're worried about at the moment is running a good meeting today and making sure the training centre is managed properly and our 10 to 12 meetings next calendar year as run professionally as well," he said.

Mr Newton said that after today, the club would shift its focus to promoting its non-TAB meetings, a change reliant on attracting people to the track and generating larger on-course betting.

But he sees the challenge as one the Maitland harness racing industry will embrace with open arms - especially as the strategic plan will remain in force only until the end of 2007.

Local participants are keen to ensure the tradition of racing remains alive and well in the city.

"This is certainly not an ideal situation, but we've been able to negotiate a much better result than looked likely," Mr Newton said.

"The strategic plan finishes in 2007 - who knows what can happen after that."

The first race on today's program starts at 12.38pm, while the feature of the charity race day, the Whitelaw McDonald Solicitors Luke Hunt Cup, will break out of the barriers at 4.17pm.