Ei Forces Gala Dinner Rethink

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday September 3, 2007

John Schell

THE immediate future of the Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame gala dinner scheduled for Randwick on September 13 will be decided today.

Officials from Racing NSW and Racing Victoria Ltd will meet to discuss the best time and conditions under which the event would be conducted.

"There are a few options that will be up for discussion and one of them will be changing the event to a fundraising night," Racing NSW representative Greg Rudolph said.

"The feeling may well be that having a black-tie dinner with people sipping champagne might not be in the best interests of the racing industry at the moment with everyone doing things tough due to the equine influenza outbreak."

Rudolph said the use of the Randwick pavilion as the function venue was also under review with the course shut down from racing for at least two months after horses stabled there became infected with EI last week.

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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