In the future it could be the only day the club races for the season if Harness Racing Victoria carries out its plan to reduce meetings at certain Victorian venues in an attempt to arrest its desperate financial situation.
Cobram was told four months ago it may be allocated only one meeting per season from 2026, which rocked the club according to its secretary manager and hobby trainer Adam Rudd.
‘‘It certainly came as a shock, as in the past we have staged up to 11 meetings a year,’’ Rudd said.
But Cobram hasn’t taken the shattering news lying down.
Rudd said his club pressed to have HRV board members, including chairman Bernard Saundry, attend last Sunday’s cup meeting and see first-hand what the club had to offer.
‘‘At least they (the board) took up our offer and attended our cup meeting so they have experienced what our club is all about,“ Rudd said.
‘‘We are just hoping they can see and realise we are a well-run club that lacks for nothing and deserves more than one meeting a year.“
HRV has pointed to betting turnover in its decision to cut meetings.
Rudd said the club had staged up to 11 meetings over a year in the past but would be happy now to have at least five or six meetings a year.
“We are a tourist town and we think the best time for us to hold meetings is over the summer months when populations along the Murray River swell with tourists,” he said.
Rudd said 2000 people attended the cup meeting last Sunday, which was a pointer to how popular meetings staged by his club could be.
‘‘We will certainly be fighting hard to get more meetings to what they want us to have,’’ Rudd said.
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