The first sporting event to fall victim to last week’s downpour was the Deniliquin Gold Cup race meet.
The Deni Rhinos A-grade and C-grade cricket matches were also stood down due to wet pitches and outfields.
The Deniliquin Racing Club tried every trick in the book to try and reduce the water on the track before it was inspected by stewards on Friday afternoon, but unfortunately there was just too much left behind.
Deniliquin Racing Club president Magnus Aitken said he and former club president Greg Dankert were at the track before 6am Saturday and it was holding up well after about 30mm of rain.
But as the rain kept coming, it became more of a challenge.
“The track was in excellent condition leading up to the event, possibly the best it has ever been, but getting that amount of rain so close to our race meet had an impact,” Aitken said.
“We are so grateful to everyone who came out and tried to help with track maintenance, and all of our supporters.
“The community really rallied for us on Friday, which was amazing.
“We did go ahead with a phantom race on Saturday, and I just thought the vibe at the racecourse was just fantastic.
“We took a few things away from the way people were enjoying themselves that we’ll look at doing again in other years.”
Deniliquin Racing Club committee member Col McMahon said 16 committee members and volunteers from the community pitched in on Friday.
“People heard about what we were trying to do, and came out to lend a hand,” McMahon said
“Jeremy Murray, from Murray Constructions, came out with his helicopter and hovered over the track trying to get rid of some of the water by wind power.
“We also had industrial fans and pumps, and even special sponges trying to get some of the water off.
“The stewards said they could see how much work had gone into it, but unfortunately the water still on the track made it unsafe for the horses and the jockeys.
“The course has to be fit 24 hours before the race, and the decision to call off racing was made in the interests of all involved.”
Meanwhile in the cricket, the rain left the Memorial Park pitches and outfields waterlogged.
It meant both the C-grade and A-grade cricket matches against Katamatite on Saturday were abandoned.
The Deni Rhinos also made a call to postpone the A-grade T20 games which were scheduled to be held in Deniliquin on Sunday.
The Rhinos will now take on Nathalia in the T20 on November 2.
The winner will go on to play the winner of the Finley and Tocumwal’s T20 game which has been rescheduled to 6pm this Thursday in Finley.
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