CROWD numbers at the Taree Gold Cup meeting on Sunday, August 23 at the Bushland Drive Racecourse will be limited to 400.
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This is under COVID-19 restrictions.
Anyone attending the meeting will have to register first. However, Manning Valley Race Club chairman Greg Coleman said this is the situation as it stands this week.
"Well still have two weeks before the cup carnival. Things could change and change quickly, as we've seen in the past few months,'' Mr Coleman stressed.
"At the moment we'll have 400 patrons there. But it could be that we don't have any spectators at all if the restrictions are tightened.''
Mr Coleman said registrations for cup day and the opening day of the carnival - Friday, August 21 - are now open. He urged those wishing to go to one or both days to get in early.
Those attending will be checked off at the front entrance before being admitted.
All other protocols for conducting a race meeting in NSW will be in place and Mr Coleman said they will be strictly enforced.
"The industry has kept going because we've followed these restrictions,'' he said.
The capacity for the Winning Post Function Centre will be 100 and tickets are available at $55 a head. This includes a two course meal. All patrons in the centre will be seated and social distancing will apply.
Those in the outside areas will also have to be seated and again, social distancing will be enforced.
No presentations - including the Taree Cup - will be held in the public area.
Mr Coleman said in a normal year a crowd of between 2000 and 2500 would be expected on cup day.
"I was at the Grafton Cup last month,'' he added.
"Usually there would 6500 to 8000 people there. This year's crowd was 643 and we were in segregated areas.
"This year we're allowed to have 400 on our cup day. It will still be a good day's racing, but I urge anyone who wants to attend to get in early.''
Feature event for the two day carnival will be the Stacks The Law Firm Taree Gold Cup. This will again be run over 2000 metres.
As was the case last year, the cup will carry $100,000 in prizemoney.
Meanwhile, while the 2020 Port Macquarie Cup looks certain to go ahead, a decision on whether fans will be allowed into Port Macquarie Race Club on race day is still to be determined.
President Michael Bowman indicated a decision on whether punters will be allowed is likely to be made by the end of August.
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