ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE EAGLE FARM ABANDONMENT AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

By Graham Potter | Monday, June 6, 2016

THE BIG PICTURE

Some say everything happens for a reason ... and certainly in the case of the Eagle Farm abandonment of the Oaks raceday on Saturday it really can be argued that everything turned out for the best.

Once the predicted weather event arrived in earnest last Saturday, in spite of some early morning confidence from officials, there was no way they were going to complete a race meeting.

To most, even to start would have been folly, not only because of the risk to horse and rider in the strong wind and the driving rain, but also because of the level of damage that the track might have been needlessly exposed to at this time.

A brand new track, big fields, extreme, adverse weather ... it wasn’t a recipe for success.

So Eagle Farm dodged a bullet.

Any significant damage to the track, just a week out from the Stradbroke would have been a real setback.

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One possible difficulty however has merely now been transferred from the Oaks meeting to Stradbroke day.

Having the grand opening of the new track on prestigious Group 1 day with big fields, as would have been the case with Oaks day last Saturday, was never the preferred option.

That view still applies with the Stradbroke now slotting into the Grand Opening Day slot.

In essence the true measure of the new Eagle Farm track will only fall into place some way down the line and most people genuinely believe that in twelve months’ time Eagle Farm will rate right up there with the best tracks around.

For now though, quite understandably, it is a case of taking it one step at a time and again this Saturday, the size of the fields and the now extended number of races will provide a stern test for the new racing surface.

It is what it is!

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While it is good to acknowledge all of the above in terms of understanding the big picture, racing enthusiasts should take care to put any negative connotation into perspective, because there are huge positives that will gradually take over as the Brisbane Racing Club works its way through this transition period.

The simple grand value of being back racing at Eagle Farm speaks for itself.

Add in the bonus of the long term benefits of a new racing surface, its highly efficient drainage system, the new stabling, improved facilities for punters etc and, at the end of the day, the concern that is in play at the moment should be alleviated over time as the new racing precinct comes into its own.

So, while current concerns are understandable, it’s not all about ‘now’.

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Having said that, hopefully the weather has had its final say in determining racing outcomes for the moment allowing the Stradbroke to go ahead in more ‘user friendly’ conditions for all involved in any way in the big day.

And for all of the argument mentioned above, remember, concerns are only concerns. They are not outcomes set in stone and therefore who is to say that Stradbroke Day will not turn into a spectacular thoroughbred racing event, worthy of its place as the top offering in Queensland Racing.

Wouldn’t that be a nice turnaround!

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THE CHIEF STEWARD’S OUTLINE OF EVENTS LEADING TO THE ABANDONMENT

Chief Steward Allan Reardon, speaking at Eagle Farm shortly after the cancellation of the meeting on Saturday, outlined the sequence of events leading to the Oaks Day abandonment.

“We had a look at the track at five o’clock. We walked it. It was a heavy eight, just on a heavy nine.

“Then we put a couple of horses over it at six o’ clock. There was minimal damage and not much rain ... but since shortly after that, the rain hasn’t stopped.

“We were aware of the radar with the band of rain all up the East Coast but we were hoping that all of it would not come our way, but it has and, where the horses marked the track this morning, those holds have filled up now so is not safe.

“We had another issue too before that with the ambulance. We have to have the ambulance as well to have the meeting and there would have been a problem with the ambulance in terms of a difficulty with it being able to follow the horses around the track.

“So the decision was made to abandon the meeting.”

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MOVING FORWARD - RQ AND THE BRC’S RESPONSE TO THE ABANDONMENT
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Once the Oaks meeting was abandoned on Saturday morning, Racing Queensland (RQ) and the Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) had to formulate a contingency plan which Racing Queensland announced in a formal press release as follows:

‘Re-programming the entire meeting to an alternate day was considered but it was deemed impractical to do so without adversely impacting existing meetings and participants.’

‘The decision was made to reschedule the following individual races:

‘The Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks will be transferred to Eagle Farm on Saturday, June 11 as a 9th race on AAMI Stradbroke Raceday. The current field will be retained with scratchings reinstated.

‘The QTC Cup will also be transferred to Eagle Farm on Saturday, June 11 in place of the Hinkler Handicap as a 10th race on AAMI Stradbroke Raceday. The current field will not be retained and fresh nominations will be called for on Monday, June 6. The race will be run over the same advertised distance of 1300 metres.

‘The Lightning Handicap will be transferred to Doomben on Wednesday, June 8 as a ninth race at that meeting. The distance will be increased slightly to 1050 metres due to the configuration of Doomben. The current field will be retained, with scratchings reinstated.

‘The Spear Chief Handicap will be transferred to Eagle Farm on Saturday, June 25 as a ninth race on Tattersall’s Tiara Raceday. The field will not be retained and fresh nominations will be called for on Monday, June 20, 2016.

‘Other races that were initially programmed for today are unable to be reprogrammed for a later date without compromising existing feature races planned for the remainder of the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival.’

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THE CREATION OF A ‘SUPER SATURDAY’ OF RACING

BRC Chairman Neville Bell said the re-programmed Stradbroke Day would provide a landmark occasion for the club and Racing Queensland.

With the transfer of the Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks and the QTC Cup to Stradbroke day that race day will now feature four Group 1 races, four Group 2 races and 2 Listed race ... an unprecedented offering in Queensland ... on what is now being called a ‘Super Saturday’ of racing at Eagle Farm.