The Forbury Park Trotting Club's most prestigious race of the season will not be run at tomorrow's Easter Thursday meeting.
The 4 & 5yr-old championship, a 2700m handicap pace, was moved to April in 2011 after previously being run in January or February from its inception in 1977. Master Mood (1986) and Bee Bee Cee (1994) both went on to win the New Zealand Cup later in their respective years after winning the Dunedin feature, the only group race to be held at Forbury Park each year.
However, the attraction of just six horses for this year's edition shortly before withdrawals convinced the committee not to proceed with the race.
‘‘At six [nominations], the committee decided it was not appropriate to run it,'' Forbury Park Trotting Club general manager John Ayoub said.
Ayoub said the proximity of the Easter Cup at Addington on Saturday night - which has attracted a field of 10 including six 4 or 5yr-olds - contributed to the committee's decision.
‘‘They decided it would be better not to run it at six and put on one of the other races that had a bigger field.''
Discussion around the possibility of rescheduling the group 3 race would probably be made in two weeks when the committee meets to discuss meeting dates for the new season.
‘‘The committee hasn't had a chance to think that one through yet, but I suppose it's a discussion that they will have.''
The race has struggled to find a good spot in the calendar in recent years, particularly with more 4 & 5yr-olds targeting the open-class features such as the Easter Cup earlier in their careers.
Other options such as the Canterbury Country Cups final at Methven last Sunday provided mid-grade 4 & 5yr-olds with an alternative on the grass.
The 2010 edition, the last to be run in February, produced a field of six and Crystal Star upset Sleepy Tripp.
Since the move to a late March-early April date five years ago, the race has drawn fields of 10, 9, 7, 9 and 7.
‘‘It's unfortunate, but it's the tough call somebody's got to make,'' Ayoub said.
‘‘Do you run it with six or do you not, but the committee has decided that they wouldn't.''
Forbury Park is not the only club to drop a feature race this year due to insufficient nominations.
The Pelorus Classic was scrubbed by the Marlborough Harness Racing Club in January after only attracting four nominations, despite offering automatic entry into the Chariots Of Fire at Menangle the following month.
