Covid-19 Delta outbreak: Decision on Cup Week expected this morning

Almost $1 million a day expected to be pumped into the Canterbury local economy is on the line during Cup and Show Week if three major events do not go ahead as planned. Photo / Photosport

A decision on whether Canterbury horse racing's biggest week of the year will go ahead without the public will be made this morning.

Last month it was announced Addington Cup Week would be going ahead but the public would be shut out entirely unless the region was moved down to level 1 restrictions.

A press release is expected at 9am today with details on what the event will look like.

In September, CEO Brian Thompson said the races will still go ahead, but if the country is still under mass gathering restrictions it will not be possible to hold Cup Week as a publicly accessible event.

"We are planning for an alert level 2 event, where we can safely host the racing industry in 100 person groups in different parts of our facilities, with the ability to scale-up if we move to alert level 1 with no restrictions on mass gatherings, by the 19th of October," he said.

At alert level 2, events can go ahead but with restrictions.

Events and event facilities — for example, stadiums, cinemas and casinos can have a maximum of 100 people in any indoor or outdoor defined space.

It would be the first time in 117 years that the event did not meet its full public capacity.

Thompson said that if a shift down level 1 was announced after today, there would not be sufficient time to prepare a full-scale Cup Week event.

"At this stage under the current restrictions all hospitality packages, tickets to The Edge Public Village, Lindauer Lawn, and Punters Lounge, plus Show Day tickets to Spectators Bar have been put on hold," he explained.

"The Crossing Fashion Starts Here competition will be run online this year, with details available mid-October."

Tickets have also been delayed for the Canterbury Jockey Club Riccarton Park Cup Week in November including the traditional Saturday race meeting.

"The Club will monitor the situation and release ticketing when there is a realistic expectation that we will be operating at level 1 in November as we were last season where a crowd limit of 15,000 attended New Zealand Cup Day."

Addington Cup Week 2021 kicks off with the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup Day on Tuesday, November 9.

The Show Day Races are scheduled for Friday, November 12.