Plea to call off Geelong meet in extreme heat

GROUP 1-winning trainer Peter Gelagotis has called on Racing Victoria to scrap tomorrow’s meeting at Geelong, with 39C forecast for the eightrace card.

Racing Victoria has already deployed one of its heat policy strategies, moving the meeting to a 10.40am start to try to avoid the afternoon peak heat.

But Moe trainer Gelagotis said he would scratch Pink An- gels Cup runner Meat Traders from his 1.15pm race.

“I’m not coming, it’s too hot. You kill horses like that,” Gelagotis said. “I don’t want to gas him first start — three hours in the float, three hours home, that’s six hours. Add two hours at the races, that’s eight hours in 40-degree heat, that’s how you destroy horses.”

Gelagotis isn’t the only trainer set to scratch his horse from the $25,000 race.

Mike Moroney (Bolek) and Enver Jusufovic (Abyssinian) are also set to scratch their runners in search of better options next week.

Gelagotis said Racing Victoria should call off the meeting, as it did at Geelong on December 3 due to extremely wet weather.

“A couple of weeks ago we had that really tough weather and they canned the races,” Gelagotis said. “They should be doing the same.”

But a number of trainers are committed to running at Geelong, including Simon Zahra, Donna Gaskin, Peter Morgan and Simone Ferchie.

Morgan gave a push for his gelding Simply Invincible, who ran second at the track and distance on January 4 before failing six days later at Sandown.

“We might have backed him up a bit quick,” he said.

“We’ve freshened him a little bit and hopefully it all works out (tomorrow) for him.”

Racing Victoria did not respond to the Geelong Advertiser’s request for comment before deadline.

I don’t want to gas him first start — three hours in the float, three hours home, that’s six hours. Add two hours at the races, that’s eight hours in 40-degree heat, that’s how you destroy horses. MOE TRAINER PETER GELAGOTIS ON WHY HE WILL SCRATCH HIS GALLOPER MEAT TRADERS FROM GEELONG TOMORROW