Racing: Addington Raceway struck in aftershock

The Addington course sustained damage when the aftershock hit Christchurch yesterday. Photo / Supplied

Addington boss Shane Gloury says the need of the community outweighed the wants of the racing industry when tonight's meeting at the track was cancelled.

A series of factors caused by Saturday's earthquake in Christchurch and the biggest aftershock yet yesterday have forced the Metropolitan Trotting Club to call off tonight's meeting, which featured some of the South Island's better standardbreds.

Greyhound meetings programmed for today and tomorrow have been transferred to Forbury Park in Dunedin.

Gloury says that while losing the meetings is a major disappointment for the owners and trainers involved it was a decision that had to be made.

"The biggest reason was the fact we are one of the Emergency Relief Centres and we already have 280 people living here in the Twiggers Stand," said Gloury last night.

"But with the big aftershock this morning we expect that number to grow in the next day and we estimate half the ground floor of our main stand will be occupied by people in need tomorrow.

"That alone means running a race meeting would be difficult, maybe impossible, but the needs of the community have to come first."

Gloury said the matter was complicated by yesterday's aftershock which saw several ceilings in key function rooms further damaged.

"We have ceilings in places like the President's dining room which we had fixed on Tuesday and they collapsed again yesterday.

"So we are back to square one a bit as far as repairs go."

The threat of more aftershocks raised concerns that another tonight could see further falling debris, which could endanger patrons.

"When you put all those things together it was really too risky to hold a meeting so the decision was more or less made for us.

"Sure, its not great but at the moment we are playing host to people who have lost their houses for a time, their power and water and some of them their incomes.

"So we have to put things in perspective. Its not great for us but we have to do our bit for people who are worse off."

Gloury said engineers would need to be called to Addington in the next few days to give the stands the all-clear for their big meeting next Friday.

The meeting features the Avon City Ford Cup for the open-class pacers which will see the return of New Zealand and Auckland Cup winner Monkey King, as well as Hunter Cup winner Bondy.

"It is also Ordeal Cup night for the trotters so we realise it is a very important lead-up race to the New Zealand Cup meeting.

"But unless we keep having major aftershocks into next week I am sure that meeting will be able to go ahead."

Most trainers who spoke to the Herald yesterday were understanding of Addington's decision and several planned to look for weekend workouts to try and top up any fitness levels lacking by the loss of racing tonight.

"It's not great but like the whole earthquake disaster it could have been a lot worse. Timing wise the earthquakes have been early in the morning which has reduced casualties," said Gloury.

"And from the racing point of view - and we all realise this is a lot less important - losing this meeting is early enough in the season that the good horses can still get ready for the cup meeting."