Racing: Ellerslie jumps meetings put back due to Covid-19 alert levels

Jumps horses could still have one last chance to race at Ellerslie. Photo / Paul Taylor

Jumps racing at Ellerslie could get the send-off it deserves with the two biggest meetings of the year being put back in the hope they can still be run over the iconic hill.

Ellerslie was set to hold the Pakuranga Hunt meeting this Sunday and the Great Northern Steeples and Hurdles on September 19, the latter to be the last jumps meeting held at Ellerslie as the hill will be developed as part of the plan to enormously boost the finances of the new club Auckland Thoroughbred Racing.

But with Auckland certain to be in Covid-19 alert level 4 for at least another eight days and possibly longer, Ellerslie bosses have been given approval to delay both major jumps meeting in the hope they can go ahead at their usual home.

That means the Pakuranga Hunt meeting moves to September 19 and the Great Northern meeting to October 3.

There were initial suggestions the Pakuranga Hunt meeting would be run at Te Aroha on Sunday but that has been changed through co-operation between the clubs, NZTR and the jumps trainers.

"We want to see jumps racing sent off in the style it deserves and we realise the Great Northern meeting will be a very historic day," said ATR chief executive Paul Wilcox.

"We are thrilled everybody has worked together to make the changes happen."

The October 3 meeting will, levels permitting, be the last time jumps racing is conducted at Ellerslie and while that will sadden many purists the economics of developing the hill are impossible to argue with.

At least now it may be able to be farewelled in appropriate style, with the big question being whether the public or even owners will be allowed to attend, with small numbers possible if Auckland is at level 2 by then.

While none of the three codes can race until Wednesday at the earliest that famine is about to become a feast with 14 thoroughbred meetings programmed in 11 days, including six in eight days in the northern region.

That has seen the Matamata meeting which was to be held yesterday moved to Wednesday, made possible by the Cambridge synthetic meeting being pushed back a day to Thursday.

Harness racing will resume at Invercargill on Thursday with the code reverting to its post-lockdown model of last year of initially only racing at four tracks (Invercargill, Addington, Cambridge and Alexandra Park) until restrictions lower to at least level 2.