Mareeba Cup heads to Cairns

BURROWING wallabies and bandicoots have been blamed for the poor state of the Mareeba Turf Club track, with the Mareeba Cup transferred to Cannon Park this Saturday.

Racing Queensland and the Mareeba TC have been working around the clock this week to help repair damage to the racetrack surface.

Mareeba trainer Alex Malliff said wallabies had “made a mess of the track”.

“Around the 600m mark there are holes six-foot (1.8m) long and two or three-foot wide which are ankle-deep,” Malliff said.

“I have never seen the track here like that before.”

Racing Queensland yesterday ruled the Mareeba track was unsuitable for racing and the Mareeba Cup would be rescheduled and conducted by the Cairns Jockey Club on Saturday, with some minor changes to starting distances.

A “phantom” betting meeting will be staged at the Mareeba TC racecourse on Saturday in lieu of the race meeting, with full club facilities available.

“It is disappointing for the club,” Mareeba Turf Club secretary John Thurlow said.

“We are really pleased that Cairns Jockey Club have helped us out there.”

CJC general manager John Cameron said it was disappointing for Mareeba to not be able to host its Cup.

“We will run the races for their stakeholders,” he said.

“There will be free admission for everyone keen to come down.”