Racing: Avondale Cup still on programme

Photo / Greg Bowker

The Avondale Cup will be run in the new racing season, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing said yesterday, refuting a claim by the Avondale Jockey Club that it won't.

What has yet to be confirmed is where the club's three feature races will be run.

In an embarrassing industry spat, the Avondale club issued a statement yesterday saying that when it recently decided to suspend racing at its course for the 2010-11 season, it indicated it would be happy to negotiate with the New Zealand Racing Board for a licence to run some or all of its feature races at a venue to be decided.

"The Avondale Jockey Club has not had any contact with the NZRB but was advised on June 15, 2010, by the northern region representative on the NZ Thoroughbred Racing Board, Mr Bill Gianotti, that the NZRB will not issue the club with a licence to run those races in the forthcoming season," Avondale president Ron Murphy said.

"As a consequence, the club's feature races, comprising the Avondale Cup, Avondale Guineas and Concorde Handicap, will not, unfortunately, be raced in the 2010-2011 season."

NZTR replied that Avondale announced on May 24 that it was relinquishing all its licences for the coming season. "NZTR considers the AJC has declined to programme its black type races and therefore, in accordance with the guiding principles of the graded stakes committee, NZTR can reallocate the races.

"NZTR will announce the placement of these three black type races in the second week of August."

- NZPA