Winter dates, income lost but trotting club focused on finding way forward

Forbury Park dominates the foreground in this 2017 aerial view of Dunedin's south coast. PHOTO:...
Forbury Park. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN
Forbury Park Trotting Club is not sitting on its hands.

The club has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and has lost all its winter racing dates as meetings are moved away.

However, club chief executive Della Henderson and board chairman Craig Paddon had updated club supporters this week.

Henderson said the club had focused its energies on improving financial performance and developing Forbury Park to be fit for racing. It had four fulltime staff who had all been put on reduced hours.

The club relied heavily on racing and losing it would leave a large hole in its income.

Henderson said the loss of racing would result in a 51% reduction in income for the current season.

The season finishes on July 31 and the new calendar has not yet been released, but a draft schedule is expected at the middle of this month.

It is hoped Forbury Park Trotting Club can make its way back on to the calendar.

The board had put in place a plan to enable the club to function on a scaled-back basis for the next six months.

The club had lights, the fibre technology to cater for broadcasting and was willing to adapt in the future, Henderson said.

Trainers have returned to the track to work their horses.

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