The Forbury Park Trotting Club meeting scheduled for tonight has been moved to an afternoon slot on Saturday to give it the best possible chance of running.
After the Canterbury Jockey Club's Saturday meeting at Riccarton was abandoned yesterday morning, New Zealand Racing Board and Harness Racing New Zealand officials moved the Forbury Park meeting into the time slot left free by the Riccarton meeting.
A forecast of snow for today and tomorrow still leaves the meeting in the balance and a decision will be made at 2pm tomorrow on whether the meeting will go ahead, depending on the status of roads and the weather.
''The move has given it every chance to be run, especially as the southerly storm is forecast to ease through Friday,'' HRNZ spokesman Andrew Morris said.
''There still may be travel issues that prevent the meeting from taking place''The make-up of the Forbury Park meeting is a relatively even split between Otago, Southland the Canterbury-based horses so the ability to move horses safely is of paramount importance.''
The first race of the Forbury Park meeting this Saturday is scheduled for 11.40am and the last of 10 races at 4.26pm. The fields remain as drawn for the original Thursday night meeting.
The two-day harness meeting at Blenheim will continue on its originally scheduled programme of Friday and Sunday racing, although Harness Racing New Zealand had advised Canterbury trainers to travel north with their horses as early as possible to avoid road closures due to likely snow in Canterbury.
At a glance
Racing and weather
The week.-
Monday: Christchurch greyhounds postponed to Tuesday.
Tuesday: Forbury Park greyhounds abandoned.
Wednesday: All clear.
Thursday: Oamaru thoroughbreds abandoned, Forbury Park harness postponed to Saturday afternoon.
Friday: Otaki thoroughbred meeting at Trentham moved to Saturday.
Saturday: Riccarton thoroughbreds abandoned, Forbury Park harness moved from Thursday.
