27/08/2025
Country race meetings are very different from city meetings. While only a small percentage of city dwellers actually go to a race, in the bush almost everyone in town turns out for the race. These events are central to the social, cultural and economic life of regional towns where they are held.
Some plan all year for the event and cancellations at the eleventh hour by racing stewards often mean that a lot of time, planning, food and money is wasted as a result.
Earlier this month, the much-anticipated Louth Races were called off in a pre-dawn meeting. The racing steward refused to reassess the track later that morning, despite the forecast sunshine. By the time the races were scheduled to start, the track had dried out but the decision had already been made. The community ended up losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct costs and lost visitation.
There was a string of cancelled country races in 2023, with local committees given little opportunity to make tracks safe in the leadup to the events. Following my discussions with Racing NSW, racing stewards began working more closely with organisers to allow races to proceed when possible. It’s a shame the Louth Races didn’t receive the same consideration.
I urge you to sign a petition to call on the NSW Government to make it possible for country race clubs to appeal any cancellation decisions by Racing NSW and to allow for them to be compensated when an event is cancelled without good reason.
To sign the petition go to https://www.roybutler.com.au/country_race_cancellations
Louth Races
