THE Scott Group of Companies Gold Cup Carnival will be permanently moved to December to dramatically boost crowds numbers and capitalise on warmer weather conditions.
Touted as the region’s premier sporting and social event, the Gold Cup will be staged twice within six months this year as part of the sweeping changes.
The racing day shake-up has also re-ignited debate over the need for a half day public holiday for the high profile sporting fixture.
The introduction of a half day public holiday for the Mount Gambier Gold Cup hit a major hurdle in 2003 when a community plebiscite rejected swapping the Adelaide Cup holiday for the Gold Cup race day.
Mount Gambier Racing Club has announced the one-day Gold Cup meetings will be held on Friday, May 10 and Friday, December 6, which will be a double delight for racegoers.
It will be the final curtain for the Gold Cup will be held in May, which will end decades of autumn/winter racing tradition in the Blue Lake city.
Mount Gambier Racing Club president John Fartch said the change of date was a crucial manoeuvre to grow crowd numbers.
He said the May Gold Cup fixture had been attracting crowd numbers of up to 3500 in recent years and it had “never grown”.
Mr Fartch foreshadowed the possibility of growing the December Gold Cup to between 8000 and 10,000 people.
“It might not happen this year, but it might next year when the cup is 12 months apart,” he said.
Mr Fartch also mooted the need for half day public holiday, similar to other regional cities that host major race days.
“We have an approachable mayor Lynette Martin to discuss this year – we will bringing it up with council,” he said.
“There are a lot of people around town talking about the need for a half day public holiday.”
Mr Fartch said the December 2017 Gold Cup attracted much higher bookings, which demonstrated the need to change the date.
“We know the bookings we had before it was washed out – we would have had between 5000 and 6000 people,” he said.
“The move is an exciting change to December where it is more conducive weather wise from the traditional time-frame of May and avoids volunteer fatigue following Generations in Jazz, which is continuing to grow.”
Thoroughbred Racing SA chief operating officer Nick Redin said the December 2017 meeting – which was cancelled due to the track’s water-logging – was a “real success” in terms of lifting bookings.
He said the December meeting would not only attract more people due to improved weather, but also Christmas parties and “wrap up” shows.
“It is the right time of the year – the weather is good,” Mr Redin said.
Thoroughbred Racing SA chair Frances Nelson QC said the date was changed following an approach from the Mount Gambier Racing Club.
“The industry has taken on board the club’s reasons for moving its club meeting and subsequently have approved the request,” Ms Nelson said.
“It is an exciting time for the club to be on its new all-weather tracking that will help sustain and grow jobs thoroughbred racing provides in the South East.”
The $3.3m redevelopment was funded by the Federal Government and Thoroughbred Racing SA.
