NSW-Vic border trainers weigh up options

Trainers operating stables on the Victorian-NSW border have been banned from crossing state lines despite the green light for their horses to race in either jurisdiction.

Wodonga trainer Craig Widdison and his staff cannot cross the border into NSW while his Albury-based counterpart Mitchell Beer cannot venture into Victoria.

But while their horses are free to race in either Victoria or NSW, the logistics for both trainers may prove too difficult.

Beer said trainers were a resilient group and they were working with each other to get horses to different meetings.

“I had a call from a trainer (in Victoria) this morning to see if I could take horses for him to Wagga,” Beer said.

“We’re so competitive on the track but at times like this no-one can do enough for each other.

“But to go interstate now has to be really worth it because of the logistics.”

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Beer has staff living in Wodonga while Widdison has some living in Albury.

Plans are being made to relocate the affected stable staff while racing continues.

Widdison said he may now reconsider sending his horses to NSW to race.

A Wodonga meeting will be held on Saturday where Widdison has 12 horses entered while he has a further nine horses nominated at Wagga Wagga in NSW on Monday.

“We’re at a stage now where we are unsure how long we will keep racing, so we’ll send a lot of them around and hope for the best,” Widdison said.

“We probably won’t worry about Wagga, but if we do we’ll probably have to get a public transporter to take them and get someone in Wagga to strap and saddle them.

“But that’s probably too hard for us.

“I think racing has done a really good job in keeping us going, but I suppose a few of the latest things that are creeping in are going to make it pretty difficult.”