No sure bet for race day

PUNTERS excited about one of the biggest social events on the Cairns calendar will have to wait until early next week to finalise plans.

A shadow was cast over the Cairns Amateurs Racing Carnival yesterday when organisers could not say if the popular event would go ahead under COVID-19 restrictions as usual on September 10-12.

Cairns Amateurs president Ross Moller previously said the event would not be postponed, citing wet weather concerns, but yesterday he assured punters an announcement would be made about the carnival on Monday or Tuesday.

Also still up in the air is whether the event will be scaled back to a one-day meet in line with changes made to the Cairns Cup program announced on Wednesday. Queensland Racing corporate affairs manager Richard Goodbody said nothing had been locked in with regard to what form the carnival would take in 2020.

“Since COVID started, we have changed our programs five times. It’s literally a moving feast,” he said.

Cairns Cup organisers have made the call to go ahead with a patron-free event on August 28 with plans to involve punters on social media.