Riverside Racecourse will hold its first meeting in over three months this Saturday.
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The Gunnedah Jockey Club have had meetings transferred away because their jockeys room was too small to adhere to the COVID-19 four-square-metre rule, Gunnedah Jockey Club secretary manager Lyn Tongue said.
But, Saturday will be a picnics meeting - that was transferred from Wean - which have a max of 10 jockeys per race allowing the GJC to safely implement the COVID-19 protocols.
Tongue was thrilled to have racing return to Gunnedah.
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"It's fantastic, we're very excited to have it back here," she said.
"We're staging it as 'The Picnics'. We used to have a picnic race club in Gunnedah. In the 60s, I think, so some time ago. We've had reasonable nominations in the main race."
Two of those nominations for the Picnic Cup (1600m) have come from Gunnedah trainer Gavin Groth.
He will suit up About Time and Bring The Joy in the cup.
Bring The Joy will take, as described by Groth, "terrible" form in.
In her last three runs, the mare has finished on average seven lengths off the pace.
"She's out of form. Her work at home's been good but she's not taking it to the track," Groth said.
"Her first-up run was good and then she's been below par and disappointing. That's why we're running here on Saturday - to try and seize that home track advantage."
Nine-year-old About Time also brings in unideal form.
"His first-up run was good then there was a bog track second-up and things didn't go go plan or suit third-up," Groth said.
The first-up run was in the Talmoi Picnic Cup ended where About Time finished third.
That third continued a good run at the picnics for the old-stager after winning the Wean Picnic Cup 12 months ago.
Groth's last runner on the card is Epic Decision in the Bracelet Trophy Handicap (1000m).
"He's never raced at the picnics but it's at home and he needs to have a run. The weight will be the only problem," Groth said.
Numbers on the day are limited to 500 and COVID-19 protocols will be in place. The club encouraged punters to pre-purchase tickets from their website.