ROCKINGHAM Beach Cup chairwoman, Donna McDonald, has recommended to the Palm Beach Rotary board a week or so’s extension on the timeline for deciding whether to run the event this year.
She told last Wednesday’s club meeting that she had a firm commitment of support from former Kwinana Mayor, Carol Adams, who chairs Perth Racing.

And Carol was willing to use her influence with Racing WA to negotiate a commitment to provide trainers, horses and jockeys. RBC committee member and race director Rob McGavin will try to set up a

meeting between beach cup committee representatives and Racing WA chief racing officer David Hunter. The hope is that this meeting will result in an agreement between all interested parties.

Mr McGavin had told the club’s board meeting, earlier in the evening, that he had worn out all his favours with trainers and jockeys running the previous six cups.
 

 

Racing professionals and owners needed to be compensated for their time and the club was keen to work under Racing WA insurance.
He noted the jockey insurance that the club had been able to provide had been inadequate.

He also said the owners were impacted because the horses would be unable to compete in any other events for 10 days after the beach cup. Running on the sand took too much out of the horses and

they needed to recuperate. Club president Rick Dawson told the club meeting that the event could be sanctioned. This would protect Rotary by providing insurance for jockeys, trainers and the owners.

Betting was not necessarily an integral part of a sanctioned race meeting. The beach cup could be like the Kulin picnic bush race — officially sanctioned but with no betting, he said.

 

Donna told the club meeting that if an agreement could not be reached in time to run the Rockingham Beach Cup this year, “we could put off the event until next year”. Time was short to get everything

organised, hire a new event manager and get all the permits needed through council. he reiterated the committee was not prepared to run the event again without increased racing industry assistance.
Rockingham City Council was very keen that the cup should be run again, she added.