PHOTO/FILE
SAM TATTERSFIELD
[email protected]
After exposed rocks put paid to last year’s spectacle, horses’ hooves are set to make a thundering return for the Castlepoint Races on Saturday.
Castlepoint Racing Club president Scott Whitehead said the club was hopeful the rocks would stay under sand, and that the weather outlook, set to be fine on Saturday before rain on Sunday, would stay sunny.
“It’s a changing environment out there, but, at the moment we’re as confident as we can be that it’s going to go ahead,” he said.
Whitehead said the event was likely to have around two or three thousand attendees – the record is about 4000.
As well as the eight races, there would be children’s games, a fun fashion parade with participants chosen from the crowd, and lucky race book numbers.
Jetty Rd, from the camping ground to Guthrie Cres, will be closed for normal traffic on race day.
Despite fears there would be no parking allowed on the beach, Greater Wellington Regional Council said they would not be going after anyone parked there.
The day will have $2 equaliser betting, where racegoers can buy tickets randomly allocated to a horse.
Tickets for the races are $5 a person, or $20 for a carload.
Horse racing on the beach is said to date back to the early days of European settlement in the area.
The first Pakeha settler, Thomas Guthrie, apparently encouraged his station hands to engage in various athletic contests on the beach in front his station.
The event will run from 12.30-5pm.
What great day yesterday first time we had been my wife and I took the kids down. One suggestion we do have is look at getting more toilets in for the event. I’d recommand the container ones like the ones that go to the fridays at Mansfield in feilding.