Bulli Gold Cup Final Postponed Due To Possible Dam Failure
Tonight's Group 2 Bulli Gold Cup Final which was to have been worth $25,000 to the winner, has had to be postponed due to an imminent risk of the Bulli Dam failing and flooding the greyhound track.
NSW SES this morning reported that the Bulli Upper Railway Basin Dam had been assessed as being at an extremely high risk of failure and that the evacuation of residents and properties downstream would be required.
However it wasn't until just an hour ago, that Greyhound Racing New South Wales confirmed that tonight's Bulli Gold Cup final meeting would have to be called off.
The “Red Alert” from the NSW SES has triggered the evacuation of the likely flood area and has involved 120 residences.
The Bulli Greyhound Racing Club operate on an area of land known as Slacky Flat, immediately adjacent to the Slacky Creek, and is an obvious potential target of any impending flood waters.
NSW SES also report that any dam failure could also force the closure of the Princes Highway.
GRNSW have so far penciled in tonight's postponed meeting to be run in full on Sunday 30th May 2010, but with the high risk of exposure of the Bulli track to any impending dam failure, that plan would seem extremely optimistic at this stage.
Update 6:11pm
As of 6pm tonight NSW SES have issued an all clear for the affected areas and residents have been allowed to return to their homes.
NSW SES have cautioned that although current danger has passed, this does not preclude the same scenario from playing out again until the structure is removed.
It would seem however that connections and fans of the finalists in Sunday's Bulli Gold Cup Final can now start preparing their charges with some confidence.