Leading Canberra trainer Barb Joseph has been a Gold Cup regular for three decades, but didn’t make the trip this year when racing was held on the Sunday and Friday for the second year in a row.

Joseph said the club had “shot itself in the foot” by splitting the two days, but would start making plans to return to Albury next year after learning the two-day carnival was back.

“You beauty,” she said.

“We usually have 30 to 40 owners go down there, but nobody went this year so we will all be back down on Wednesday and go home on the Saturday as we’ve done in the past.”

ARC confirmed on Thursday the cup carnival would be held on March 21-22 next year in a move which could cost the club the chance of hosting a heat of the NSW Country Championships.

Albury hosting the 2017 heat led to the splitting of the traditional two-day carnival.

Club chief executive Mick Wighton said the club still wanted to host the Southern District Racing Association country championships heat again, but it would mostly likely require one of its existing dates being rescheduled to the time the series is on.

Wagga hosted it again this year and would be in the box seat if Albury couldn’t have a date switched.

Mr Wighton said the return to a two-day carnival made sense.

“It offers a bit of continuity and there seems to be public opinion that it is much more preferable,” he said.

“Switching back and forth is not an option.

“We’ve put in a request to host the country championships again.

“It runs for about 10 weeks and doesn’t have to run (at Gold Cup carnival time).”

“It is Albury Racing Club’s expectation that the hosting of the SDRA heat of the country championships will rotate between Albury and Murrumbidgee Turf Club.”

Wagga has a meeting scheduled for Sunday, March 3 next year.

Racing NSW is expected to finalise dates for the series next month.