RACING NSW is pleased the Orange Picnic Races went ahead on the scheduled day on Saturday, with Orange able to retain its date on the racing calendar, despite a lack of involvement from the Orange and District Picnic Races Committee.
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Racing NSW general manager of industry Scott Kennedy said he had not ruled out the future involvement of a picnic race comittee for the popular annual event at Towac Park.
“This race meeting has always been very popular within the community and the picnic race committee and Racing Orange may be able to come to an arrangement in the future,” he said.
“It is also important to the racing industry.”
Racing Orange chairperson Ellie Brown, said the club was grateful to Racing NSW it has been able to hold on to what was an important day on the Orange racing calendar.
“We were pleased to be able to continue the spirit of picnic races in Orange,” she said.
Mr Kennedy said the promotion and staging of the Racing Orange Picnic Races this year was supported by Racing NSW.
The Orange and District Picnic Races Committee has traditionally held the event as a fundraiser for local charities.
However, the sticking point this year appeared to be the cost borne by the picnic race committee in preparing and using the track and facilities for the meeting.
Orange and District Picnic Races Committee spokesman Ben O’Halloran was contacted but declined to comment.
The committee’s website has a brief message stating the race meeting would not be hosted by the committee this year.
janice.harris@fairfaxmedia.com.au