RACING CHAOS OVER EAGLE FARM MOVE:
THE venue for this year’s $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap hangs in the balance as the Brisbane Racing Club sets itself for a showdown with Racing Queensland this morning.
Racing Queensland yesterday ordered the BRC switch tracks for this Saturday’s Queensland Oaks meeting.
Following scathing criticism from leading trainers and jockeys after last Saturday’s Eagle Farm program, Racing Queensland intervened and ordered the meeting be moved to Doomben or Caloundra.
But after a marathon phone hook-up between directors last night, the BRC is set to challenge Racing Queensland’s ruling and has sought an urgent meeting with the control body this morning.
The BRC will argue the track is safe for racing, submit that curator Evergreen concurs the track is safe and that turnover from the Kingsford Smith Cup meeting at Eagle Farm last Saturday matched figures from last year.
Racing Queensland is likely to hold its ground and insist the prestigious program is run away from the maligned Eagle Farm surface.
On Saturday, BRC officials insisted the carnival would continue at Eagle Farm as scheduled.
But a groundswell of negative commentary around the performance of the track on Saturday forced Racing Queensland to intervene.
Racing Queensland chief executive Eliot Forbes said the decision to move was in order to present the best surface for Group 1 racing.
“We are focused very clearly on making decisions that are in the best interests of the entire industry,” Forbes said.
“Safety is of critical importance but there are other considerations, including the appearance of our racing and getting the best possible surface.”
Ominously, a decision is yet to be made on the Stradbroke on June 10 but if Racing Queensland has ruled Eagle Farm unfit for Group 1 racing this Saturday, then it’s unlikely an extra week will make a difference.
Record-breaking Victorian trainer Darren Weir said the move to shift carnival dates was the right one.
“It will just give you a little more confidence. The way the track was, you just didn’t know how your horse was going to run,” he said.
“They need to be congratulated because at least they are trying to do something about it. I understand it’s tough because they have copped it the last couple of weeks.”
The fallout for the BRC will be considerable.
The Oaks and Stradbroke meetings are its biggest revenue-raisers and the shift will come at considerable expense to the club.
THE WAY THE TRACK WAS, YOU JUST DIDN’T KNOW HOW YOUR HORSE WAS GOING TO RUN TRAINER DARREN WEIR