The Gold Coast Bulletin

Dirt gets thrown as track fury rolls on

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make sure that what is recommende­d from all the experts are the right remedies.”

Any proposal needs to be agreed upon by both the BRC and RQ.

“We hope within the next two weeks we will be able to make some announceme­nts,” Bell said.

Eagle Farm’s failure to stand up to scrutiny on Saturday has sparked wide ranging anger and calls for those responsibl­e to be held accountabl­e for failing to recognise the warning signs before it exploded in front of the national racing audience.

Prominent owner Noel Greenhalgh, a BRC member and owner of some 50 horses, said someone needs to accept responsibi­lity.

Greenhalgh was angry after galloper Tangled struggled at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

“No one seems to think they are accountabl­e. They are all running away from it,” he said.

“There was expensive horse flesh, potentiall­y worth millions of dollars, racing there at the weekend, yet there were horses pulling up on the turn and walking to the line. It was embarrassi­ng.

“Yet the club, even (yesterday), they were still prepared to stand up and say the track should be raced on (again).

“They knew all along. They wouldn’t let a horse run over it for two weeks. The ideal situation would have been to put some horses over it early in the week and see if it’s fit for racing. If not, make an emergency change it.”

Bell said it was unfair to accuse the club of negligence, given every possible resource had been poured into trying to get the track right.

“You can rest assured we are not sitting back and saying what’s happened is acceptable, but it’s really complex,” Bell said.

“We have been very open and transparen­t on everything we have done with this track. We accept the voice of public opinion is overwhelmi­ng and acknowledg­e it.

“We’ve landed in the right spot (going to Doomben).” decision to

 ?? Picture: AAP IMAGE ?? The state of Eagle Farm’s track, as shown during the Darley Kingsford Smith Cup Day on Saturday, is proving a sore point for many in the industry.
Picture: AAP IMAGE The state of Eagle Farm’s track, as shown during the Darley Kingsford Smith Cup Day on Saturday, is proving a sore point for many in the industry.

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