Canterbury horse racing's biggest week of the year kicks off today but without the usual crowd of 20,000 people. Photo / George Heard
Canterbury horse racing's biggest week of the year kicks off today but without the usual crowd of 20,000 people. Photo / George Heard
Canterbury horse racing's biggest week of the year kicks off today but without the usual crowd of 20,000 people.
The IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup Day is the first of the Addington Cup Week events. The action will get under way at 12.15pm. The cup race is expected to start at 5.50pm.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, organisers made the decision last month to go ahead without a crowd for the first time in 117 years.
Canterbury horse racing's biggest week of the year kicks off today but without the usual crowd of 20,000 people. Photo / George Heard
Addington Raceway CEO Brian Thompson said they were hopeful the South Island would have dropped down an alert level with enough time to create and deliver the event as usual but time had run out.
Instead, the event is a smaller racing industry day for members, owners, trainers and business partners.
Addington Raceway CEO Brian Thompson (left) arrives at the event. Photo / George Heard
Everyone on site will be hosted in "bubbles" corresponding to a different coloured wrist band.
All guests will be required to scan in for contract tracing purposes, and the wearing of masks is compulsory at all times except when eating and drinking.
Although there will be no punters on-site, Christchurch bars are gearing up for a busier day than usual.
Some of the industry members, owners, trainers and business partners at Addington Raceway. Photo / George Heard
Kaiser Brew Garden is offering Champagne specials and their beer steins for today's celebrations.
Director Campbell Parker says they are hoping to see the bar full of people.
Cup Day at Addington was looking a little different this year due to Covid restrictions. Photo / George Heard
"Because there is not 25,000 people on course, they'll still be getting their make-up, doing their hair, going out and having a good time but this time they'll be able to get into a bar and potentially just have to sit and stay.
"We just don't know how this Tuesday is going to go versus our normal."
The races kicked off at Addington Raceway at 12.15pm. Photo / George Heard
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Cup Meeting at Riccarton Racecourse will go ahead with a limited number of people this year.
Owners of competing horses, event sponsors and members of the Canterbury Jockey Club can attend. If demand for attendance is not be exhausted by the key stakeholders, limited seated tickets may be available for the public.
Some of the industry members, owners, trainers and business partners at Addington Raceway. Photo / George Heard
The New Zealand Cup and Show Week events, at Addington and Riccarton, and the New Zealand Agricultural Show have a big impact on the local economy but each of them has been cancelled or are not going ahead as planned.
ChristchurchNZ told the Herald the total predicted visitor spend for the events is $4.3 million.
That estimate was based on the events, typically running across five days, going ahead while the whole country is at alert level 1.
