THERE will be no Wangaratta Cup this season.
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With track resurfacing works to start after Saturday’s twilight meeting, racing is not expected to resume until Melbourne Cup day next year.
Wangaratta Turf Club chief Paul Hoysted said the club had decided against running the Wangaratta Cup at another venue.
The March 1 cup meeting has already been moved to Benalla.
“Unfortunately, we won’t be running a Wangaratta Cup this season but we plan to make it a bigger and better cup in 2016,” Hoysted said.
He said there would be minimal disruption to trainers as work on the $273,000 track upgrade progressed.
“From a trainers’ point of view, they won’t be affected at all,” he said.
“All the trainers have been informed what they will have access to and at what dates for the next 12 months.
“There will be a two-week period when we shut our inside grass track for maintenance.
“The club will cover the cost of the fee for Wangaratta trainers to use the Benalla track.
“We are also putting in an outside rail around the inside grass track so trainers can still have their jumpouts.
“There will also be trials held in the North East at Wodonga and Benalla for Wangaratta trainers.”
Hoysted denied claims by prominent Wangaratta trainer John Ledger that the club was undertaking the renovations simply because “the money is available and has to be used.”
“John was of the belief that there was just money to spend and that’s why we were doing it,” he said.
“Yes, the track is in absolute sensational condition, however, it is costing too much to maintain.
“The past five months alone it has cost $40,000.
“When the poa annua and bent grass is replaced with an improved kikuyu surface, it will slash maintenance costs.
“If we didn’t do something about it, those costs would have eventually been passed on to trainers.
“But just by being ahead of the game and some forward thinking, we are making sure the venue can be run as sustainably and efficiently as possible.
“So we are not just spending money because its there to spend.
“It is a considered approach to make sure the track and club is still around in 25 years and beyond.”