Easter Sunday Racing

This subject is a bit of a ‘hardy annual’ for me, and I’m hoping that the current review of the Racing Act will encompass well overdue change.

It is totally absurd that our own TAB is operating on Easter Sunday, taking bets on racing all around the World including Australia, yet horse racing in this Country is not permitted. In fact, I see that there is now even limited racing on Good Friday across the Tasman. Fitting meetings into the current available dates is a nightmare, and yet on an ideal day, when people are available to go racing, it’s not allowed.

Apparently there is a reluctance among politicians to give the green light to the racing industry to operate on the day, because it would encourage retailers to use that as an excuse for them to open on Easter Sunday also. Maybe our leaders should note that professional rugby (which you can bet on) happens on Good Friday – so rugby players and administrators can ply their trade on the ‘scared’ days but not the racing equivalent.

Let’s move into the modern day with this one, and sooner rather than later.

Pete Cook