The race that stops the Mallee has been thrown a lifeline by South Australia's peak horse racing body, ensuring the Mindarie Halidon Cup can go ahead in 2020.
The Mindarie Halidon Racing Club committee decided last weekend to cancel the September event due to uncertainty around the pandemic and difficulties meeting COVID-19 restrictions.
But the regional horse race that brings more than a thousand people to the tiny Mallee community of Halidon each year will still run after Thoroughbred Racing South Australia (TRSA) offered to transfer the meeting's location to Murray Bridge.
"The Mindarie Halidon races have always been an event to look forward to on the racing calendar," TRSA industry marketing manager Michelle Greene said.
"As part of our racing program we still have to run a meeting, so Murray Bridge was the logical venue.
"I think it's a great outcome for everyone."
104 years of history
Ms Greene confirmed this year is the cup's 104th anniversary, even though the club had to cancel the race last year because of an oversight with the upkeep of the racetrack.
An inconsistency in the grass cover in 2019 left both TRSA and the Australian Jockey's Association to deem the track unsafe for racing.
Mindarie Halidon Race Club vice president and stalwart Frank Griffiths told the ABC last year it was a disappointing outcome for the local community, but he was looking forward to running the race meet in 2020 and beyond.
"They have had a run of bad luck unfortunately, so hopefully they will get to host their meeting in 2021," Ms Greene said.
"Luckily for them we can still say they've had the [104th] Mindarie Halidon Cup — even though it's not at their venue this year."
TRSA confirmed the September 20 race at Murray Bridge will comply with all COVID-19 restrictions that are in place at that time.
