The club will be an amalgamation of the Taree-Wingham and Krambach clubs. The merger moved a step closer last week when Taree-Wingham Race Club members voted unanimously in favour of the move. Members will now meet again on Monday October 16 to ratify the new club’s constitution. Racing NSW will also have to rubber stamp the club’s formation, but this is regarded as a formality.

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Taree-Wingham chairman Greg Coleman told the Times the new entity could be in operation in time to conduct the Krambach Cup meeting on Friday October 20.

Mr Coleman will be one of five representatives from Taree-Wingham on the new clubs’ board. There’ll be four from Krambach. The new board will meet as soon as practicable after the October 16 meeting to elect an executive. Mr Coleman believes it is necessary to start dialogue with MidCoast Council regarding the promotion of the club’s major events, including the Taree Gold Cup Carnival run in August.

“In other areas the local councils are jumping over themselves to get involved with promoting major race meeting,’’ Mr Coleman said.

This is particularly so in Grafton and the Clarence River Jockey Club’s July cup carnival, which pours millions of dollars into the area’s economy. Mr Coleman believes the Taree Cup Carnival has the potential to achieve a similar result for the Manning.

Mr Coleman said this is not necessarily about council providing financial support – although this would be welcomed.

“There are other ways to promote events and we want to work in with Manning Valley tourism to assist us,’’ he said.

As has been previously reported, the new club will be the third biggest in country NSW behind the Clarence River Jockey Club and the Wagga-based Murrumbidgee Turf Club.

Manning Valley will conduct 22 meetings a year – 21 with full TAB coverage along with the Melbourne Cup day meeting – the most popular in terms of crowd support

The new council will meet today for the first time and elect a mayor.