Ipswich set for record Cup meeting

Ipswich is on course for a record crowd at its Cup meeting with the club buoyed by news its redevelopment will be completed on schedule.

There has been unparalleled early demand for tickets for Saturday’s Cup meeting despite some redevelopment delays leaving parts of the course as a work site.

The Ipswich Turf Club has been at loggerheads with Racing Queensland which announced last month some money for the off-track redevelopment would be used for course proper work.

It meant the club’s 50 year old tie-up stalls would not be replaced.

But the state government announced this week the off-course development would be completed as planned, meaning the upgrade to the tie-up stalls would go ahead.

Ipswich has been hampered in its lead-up to the meeting with its main grandstand undergoing work which is taking longer than expected because of the discovery of asbestos,

ITC marketing manager Clare Power said Ipswich people had got right behind the meeting and the club had made special plans to cover for the loss of the grandstand,

“At this stage we are well on the way to having a crowd of over 20,000. We already have 50 private marquees sold out and a further 12 corporate or sponsored marquees,” Power said.

“We put the “sold out” sign on a couple of other areas but we still have room so we can cater for more.

“The people of Ipswich usually rally around in tough times and they have done it again for this meeting.”

The club is hoping to boost prize money for its feature races and get an upgrade to Group Three for the Eye Liner and possibly the Cup.