Source : the age
Track safety dramas have forced Melbourne Racing Club into a review of Caulfield Racecourse just four weeks out from one of the major races of the spring carnival.
Last-minute track maintenance was ordered at the course on Saturday after a group of jockeys identified a stretch of dangerous ground along the home straight before the group 1 program had even started.
Pre-race images showed jockeys picking up and moving large clumps of turf. Stewards ordered the inside running rail be moved out an extra four metres in the home straight to take the unsafe surface out of play.
Caulfield will host the $3 million group 1 guineas on October 10 and the $6 million Caulfield Cup the following Saturday. Almost 30,000 people attended last year’s Caulfield Cup.
“During a routine track inspection on Saturday morning, an issue was identified with a number of the standard track-repair ‘plugs’ near the inside rail, some of which appeared uneven or loose,” the MRC said in a statement.
Plugs are used to fill divots and small holes in a track’s surface.
Once the problem was fixed, there were no issues for the remainder of the meeting, which saw Birdman firm as a Cox Plate fancy after winning the group 1 Underwood Stakes, Zahrann rocket into Caulfield Cup favouritism after saluting in the Naturalism Stakes, and the often-maligned Angel Capital finally deliver on its promise by winning the group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
It is not the first time the MRC has come under fire from punters this year, following criticism for the standard of its tracks at Caulfield and Sandown during the winter months.
On top of that, two barrier attendants were lucky to escape injury in June when starting barriers were accidentally reversed into a lake in the middle of Sandown Racecourse. They were later fished out with a crane.
“It would probably be a good idea for MRC to change their name back to VATC … Very Amateur Turf Club as the legend of racing writers used to refer to it,” prominent owner Nick Williams posted on X on Saturday.
Jockey Patrick Moloney told Racing.com the track surface was fine after the pre-race alterations, but the changes had made it “really awkward” to navigate for riders.
“You go from a normal position to an obscure position in the straight,” he said.
Victorian Jockeys Association CEO Matthew Hyland said a number of jockeys had identified safety concerns before the first race and told stewards of their concerns. He said they were happy with the outcome.
Stewards put out a statement on Saturday, saying they had identified several areas of concern.
“Out of an abundance of caution, stewards directed that the moveable rail be placed out an additional four metres in the straight (350m to the winning post) to ensure the areas identified will not be in use for today’s meeting,” the statement said.
The MRC said the use of plugs was a standard maintenance practice undertaken regularly at racecourses.
“With the safety of horses and riders paramount, the decision was made to move the rail out as a precautionary measure,” the club said.
“The Melbourne Racing Club will undertake a review immediately following today’s meeting.”
While Ben Melham was among the jockeys who discovered the early issues with the track, he rode the course brilliantly when it counted, landing a group 1 double on Birdman and Angel Capital for trainer Chris Waller.
“Finally. This horse [Angel Capital], we’ve praised his ability from day dot. I just knew today, it’s the first time he’s been in a suitable race where I thought everything would go to plan and right conditions,” Melham said.
“Then we got here this morning, they cut the track in half. Honestly, he needs all the track he can get. Wasn’t too happy about that, but we found a race with good speed.
“He got into a good rhythm, and obviously Chris is a master at setting these horses.”
Waller’s stable representative, Darren Beadman, said Birdman would head towards the Cox Plate, which will be run away from Moonee Valley for the first time as the course undergoes renovations.
“Two thousand at Flemington looks made to order in a sense,” Beadman said.
Jockey Ethan Brown was equally upbeat about the Ciaron Maher-trained Zahrann’s victory in the Naturalism Stakes, but might face a task to make the Caulfield Cup weight.
Zahrann, a five-year-old imported stallion, has been allocated 52.5 kilograms for the 2400m handicap.
“He’d probably get something [penalty], I don’t know,” Maher said.
“‘Browny’ is pretty locked in, I think the Hong Kong trip has done him the world of good, and he looks like he’s got his eye on the prize or the eye of the tiger or whatever, but I’m sure he could do it if he wanted to.”
