“WE will be back racing bigger and better next year.”
It’s a cliché thrown around by sporting clubs, but never has it been more desired by volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Manangatang Racing Club is championing next year’s race meeting after it was forced to cancel the Nutrien Ag Solutions Manangatang Cup on October 9.
Club secretary Adam McNicol said the decision to scratch its only meeting for the year was disappointing but taken out of its hands.
“Once the roadmap came out, it was clear we wouldn’t be able to hold the event,” he said.
“We are on board with the public health measures to contain the pandemic.
“In some ways it was disappointing because we aren’t far from the end of it (lockdowns).
“If we were racing six weeks later, we probably would have been okay, but clearly things are out of our control.
“Having a few thousand people getting together at a country race meeting is not something that can be done at the moment.”
McNicol said the club enjoyed welcoming back expats and returning visitors from Melbourne, including football players on end-of-season celebrations, to its iconic event in the big shed.
“What we do know is when we finally come back next year, it will be bigger and better than ever,” he said.
“We have had a lot of strong interest from people who want to get out and about and come to the races.
“We won’t have a problem drawing a crowd next year, that’s for sure.”
Asked about race meetings requiring a fully vaccinated crowd come next year, McNicol said that decision would come from Racing Victoria.
“It’s very much the racing industries call on that, at this stage it’s not something the club will need to be involved in.
“We just don’t need to by into that … rules will be put in place for us and we will follow them.”
McNicol said the race continuing without a crowd wasn’t on the agenda.
“The thing about our event is it’s a community race meeting so can only have it if the community is there,” he said.
“We absolutely get support from trainers, owners and jockeys – the heart of any race meeting – but at the same time, people come to Manang to socialise, meet old friends, catch up and experience what’s great about country life.
“Our event is not remotely the same event without the crowd there.”
McNicol said the cancellation of the race wouldn’t impact the club’s financial position, which was “strong”.
“We still get amazing support from Country Racing, Racing Victoria and Victorian Government,” he added.
“We are a financially strong club, anyway, so this doesn’t really impact.
“The support has been so great that we come out of it in a fine position.”
Manangatang’s population won’t grow 10-fold come next month, but it’s in the saddle and odds are strong for a race-thirty crowd in 12 months.
“Our country meet keeps Manang on the map, that’s the reality,” McNicol said.
