Cup targets 2k crowd Organisers eye bumper turnout for racing’s big date

THE Cairns Cup will be run and won in front of as many as 2000 people if the optimistic outlook of Cairns Jockey Club general manager John Cameron comes to fruition.

It’s not the huge crowd of punters Cairns’s racing carnival is used to, but it’s an enormous increase on what has become the norm in the past few months.

Racing Queensland has eased restrictions on the number of patrons at venues, with 20 allowed at Eagle Farm on Saturday to witness Tyzone win the Stradbroke Handicap.

RQ CEO Brendan Parnell told the Cairns Post punters would be welcome at Cannon Park for arguably the biggest race date on the Far North’s racing calendar.

Cameron hopes that, barring a second wave of the coronavirus, the club could welcome as many as 2000 people for the August 28 event.

“I’d tip that, by August, we could welcome at least 1000 people to the club,” Cameron said.

“We’ve just had huge gatherings of people across the country for various reasons.”

From an economic perspective, Cameron said between 1000 and 2000 people would be beneficial, though it’s expected punters would still have to abide by physical distancing restrictions.

Cameron’s tip is dependent on the coronavirus – if there’s a second wave, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to host that large a crowd – and how the Queensland Government eases restrictions.

Racing is one of the few sports that was able to proceed throughout the pandemic, albeit with numerous biosecurity measures, and the industry has proved in the past few months that they can work within the guidelines.

Patrons were barred and attendance strictly limited to essential personnel, with racing zones implemented to restrict travel.

Both the zones and patronfree meets were lifted last week, and it’s hoped the way forward will become more clear by the end of the week when RQ submits an industry COVID Safe plan to the Queensland Government.

Parnell was confident the Cairns Cup would be run in front of punters.

“(The plan will have) a staged return to patrons at the track,” Parnell said. “There will be some fans at the Cairns Cup later this year.

“We’re so lucky we’re still able to race.”

Racing will return to Cannon Park on Thursday, which has attracted 114 nominations across the nine-race program.

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