Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s decision to call a September election means polling day will clash with one of Sydney’s major race meetings of the spring.

Gillard has set election day for September 14, right in the middle of the Sydney carnival.

The corresponding weekend last year hosted the $1 million Group One Golden Rose, one of the spring’s flagship races.

While this year’s program is still being finalised, Australian Turf Club CEO Darren Pearce says the election date will have an effect.

“If it’s not Golden Rose day it will still be a significant race day of our Sydney spring carnival,” Pearce said.

Pearce would not confirm whether the Golden Rose had been pencilled in for September 14, nor whether the ATC would look to shift it if it was slated for that date.

He said the 2013 Sydney spring carnival schedule was still at a consultation phase and no decisions would be made until the program had been passed by the board.

However, given that history shows on-course crowd numbers traditionally drop by around 20 per cent on an election day, Pearce says the ATC has some hard work ahead.

“It (the election) will have an impact but with the early announcement we’ve got a reasonable planning period,” Pearce said.