Narrogin Race and Pace confirm Narrogin Cup set to be rescheduled for early April

Narrogin Race and Pace is set to hold their $70,000 Narrogin Cup on April 10.

Narrogin Racing worked with Racing and Wagering WA to find another meeting for the thoroughbred feature race after Sunday’s gallops meeting was transferred to Ascot.

The meeting was moved because of the COVID-19 situation, travel restrictions and the lack of horses stabled in the Wheatbelt area.

Sunday was originally to be the Narrogin Cup meeting but all races bar the Cup itself were switched to Ascot.

A Narrogin meeting on January 8 was postponed because of extreme heat.

The April 10 meeting is a new program and will contain the gallops feature race.

Narrogin Race and Pace manager Cathi Trefort-Budby was pleased the club could find another date for its big event.

“It was one of the only spare weekends and wasn’t going to clash with any other meetings,” she said.

“It is good to get the date confirmed even though it’s a big meeting, as a country club you are not sure if you will get them back.”

Narrogin Race and Pace and Community TAB joined forces to raise funds for the Narrogin St John Ambulance at the transferred meeting.

The local club was able to sell eight race names to sponsors and raised $2600 from that, and Community TAB has matched the first $2000.

“It was pleasing that whilst the meeting was transferred to have the ability to sell more names and raise additional funds,” Trefort-Budby said.

“It’s a nice fundraising opportunity and it’s good that the industry could still function, albeit a changed format, and have the ability to keep racing.”

Narrogin’s next meeting is a trots program on February 20.