Forbury thrilled by response to meeting

By Adrian Seconi, Otago Daily Times

Forbury Park will burst back into life this Thursday.

The harness racing club will host its first meeting since March when Covid-19 brought racing to a halt.

But it is a bigger victory than that.

The club had all its race dates cut earlier in the year. But the community rallied and in July the Racing Industry Transition Authority allocated 10 dates to the Forbury Park Trotting Club and 10 dates to the Otago Greyhound Racing Club, which also races at the track.

The club will also host the Tuapeka meeting on October 25.

Club chief executive Della Henderson has been buoyed by the response to its comeback meeting.

"We are thrilled to have received 135 nominations for Thursday's race meeting," she said yesterday.

"This is a fantastic result and shows the solid support Forbury is getting from owners and trainers here on our doorstep and further afield in Southland and Canterbury.

"We have had many trainers anticipating racing getting under way here again and looking forward to racing in Dunedin."

"Our staff are excited to get back racing and to prepare the track and facilities this week.

"Everyone at Forbury is looking forward to a busy action-packed event."

Trials will be held about an hour before the first race.

"Doing this before a meeting makes it more efficient and cost-effective for the club and trainers and owners to qualify horses."

The club had 20 dates last season but Henderson has said it could operate with 10.

It recently sold a strip of land located between the old stand and the southern end of the ground in Victoria Rd to a local consortium to use for residential housing.

The first of 10 races starts at 5.05pm.