State solid in face of virus
THE coronavirus pandemic has been a hard pill to swallow for racing but given the state’s outcome of no positive cases in almost 50 days, the government, and particularly Premier Peter Gutwein, must be applauded.
Being shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused great hardship for an industry that was on the verge of flourishing, but whether the government’s decision was right or wrong becomes irrelevant.
It will be how participants and administrators manage the road forward that will determine how the industry survives the global crisis.
Racing’s greatest investment in 30 years was the redevelopment of the Elwick track and after how it played two weeks ago with riders sending their charges to the outside running rail in the home straight set off alarms.
Coupled with the effects of COVID-19, thoughts of a failed track redevelopment would be the straw to break the camel’s back.
Trainers and riders were concerned with the amount of sandy kickback and clods flying from the start to the end of the meeting, but not one rider went close to saying the track was unsafe.
In a media statement, multiple premiership-winning jockey Brendon McCoull summed up the situation best by focusing on the rail shifts, or lack of them.
“It’s not the track that should be criticised but the rail placement,” McCoull said. “In my opinion it hasn’t been very well managed. We ran three trial sessions and a race meeting with the rail in the same position and that simply doesn’t make sense.
“They sold us on a 28mwide track on the basis it would allow for many different rail shifts, then they don’t shift it [rail].”
Tasracing CEO Paul Eriksson said the Elwick track had been pushed exceptionally hard since the return to trials on May 18 and had held up very well considering it was still settling in.
“Whether the rail should have been shifted is academic. A decision was made a week out to retain the rail in the 8m position. Our view was that this was the best overall result given there were two more meetings on July 5 and July 19 before the track has a break.
“The level of usage for this time of year is the issue as there is very little grass growth or recovery in midwinter. We never envisaged that it would have this amount of use in June/July but there are some things that cannot be controlled.
“The rail will be shifted to 13m this Sunday which was as we had planned. StrathAyr managing director Frank Casimaty inspected the Elwick
track following the June 21 meeting and delivered a positive report.”
Tasracing track manager Sam Webster confirmed there had been a change in fertiliser that was expected to advance growth and assist in other areas as the track endures its bedding-down period.