The coronavirus epidemic has hit Tamworth greyhound racing hard, with crowds shut out of meetings.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
In a further blow, the Tamworth Cup carnival has been postponed.
The meeting, initially scheduled for March 29 to April 4, has been moved to June 14-20 after talks between Greyhound Racing NSW and the Tamworth Greyhound Racing Club.
TGRC president Robert Munn said rescheduling the carnival was "probably the safest option for the wider community".
Read also:
"With many expected travellers coming to the meeting, it could have caused a few issues - who knows," he said.
The carnival would be rescheduled again if need be, Munn said, adding: "I'll reschedule it before I cancel it, that's for sure ... it is a 2020 carnival, so I can go until December if I have to."
He said further date shifts would be contingent on approval being given by Greyhound Racing NSW and the Greyhounds Welfare Integrity Commission.
The club has meetings on the next two Saturdays. The meetings will be staged under the same coronavirus-prompted guidelines as those attached thoroughbred and harness meetings in NSW.
That means only trainers, dog handlers and greyhound racing officials are allowed at the track.
Munn said the banning of racegoers would have a "massive" financial impact on the club. Compensation had not been discussed, he said.
The Cup carnival rescheduling has resulted in race-date changes in Tamworth. There is now no racing on March 29, May 23 and May 30, but there will be racing on May 8, June 13 and June 14.
