On behalf of RACE and the Manawatu Racing Club we would like to express our sincere apologies for the abandonment of the LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes Day at Awapuni on Saturday 10 December.

The ramifications of this outcome are sorely felt by guests, sponsors, club members, owners, trainers, jockeys, punters and the entire racing industry, and we will work with all relevant parties to review, remedy and learn from this unacceptable situation. The NZ Sports Turf Institute have been onsite twice since the weekend and we are pleased to welcome NZTR and industry experts to the course today. We look forward to receiving their advice and guidance to ensure Awapuni can provide a safe racing surface at a metropolitan venue with the appropriate infrastructure.

We have also initiated an internal review of our systems, processes, infrastructure and capability to ensure we meet and exceed industry expectations into the future. And while there are any number of factors that contribute to an abandonment, ultimately we got it wrong and are putting our hand up to acknowledge that fact.

There are protocols to follow when an incident of this nature occurs, and these take time to work through. What this means is that there will be no racing at Awapuni this weekend (Saturday December 17) when we were scheduled to host the Humphries Construction Manawatu Cup. That raceday will now take place at Trentham.

We know there are many groups looking to host their Xmas parties on course next weekend at Awapuni, and that option will still be available by way of a phantom meeting with the action from Trentham beamed onto the screens in the Awapuni hospitality zones. We’ll be in touch with all booked hospitality guests to confirm their intentions to either proceed as planned, relocate to Trentham, or receive a refund.

The Manawatu Standard Boxing Day at the Races is another casualty of the current situation, with the raceday being transferred to Otaki.

January 7 sees the running of the Japac Homes Marton Cup, an event which is a qualifier for the Wellington Cup and also boasts a support card of feature races. This event will now transfer to Trentham and be the launching pad for the 150th NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport Wellington Cup carnival.

In summary, this has been a difficult time for all those involved, but you can rest assured that the team at RACE will make the necessary changes by working with our colleagues to bring Awapuni back to the standard that the racing industry demands in these challenging times.

Yours in Racing,

Paul Humphries
RACE Chairperson