NSW racehorse trainers claim that the two-day World Youth Day event with Pope Benedict at Randwick racecourse next year will cost them up to $12 million in relocation expenses.The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the racecourse is expected to be unusable for trainers, their staff and about 800 horses for about six weeks before and after the weekend of 19-20 July next year.
About 400,000 people are expected to join the Pope in World Youth Day services on both days, the paper says.
About 200,000 of them will camp at the restructured racecourse for a night, with the spillover sleeping in Centennial Park.
An Australian Jockey Club (AJC) insider said the club felt like the "ham in the sandwich" between the Federal Government, which had negotiated for the racecourse to be used for the event, and the Catholic Church.
The AJC is urging both parties to reach agreement on issues such as compensation within a month.Anthony Cummings of the NSW Trainers Association said when trainers had to relocate their horses, they operated on the basis of $5000 per horse for every two weeks.
On that basis, 800 horses for six weeks would be $12 million."It is the relocation of people which costs the most, so it could be dearer," Cummings warned.
AJC chief executive Tony King said: "We need an agreement. "We may be Christian and loving, but we're also practical."
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