Wgton Steeples shifted to Hastings

The Wellington Steeplechase and Hurdles will be run at Hastings on Thursday after heavy rain forced the cancellation of the Trentham meeting on Saturday.

As a result of the massive storm sweeping the country, conditions at the track were deemed unsafe on Friday.

‘‘Unfortunately we’ve made the decision not to race,’’ Wellington Racing club track manager Kim Treweek said on Friday morning following an inspection of the track.

Club officials and stipendiary stewards carried out the inspection which revealed extensive surface water including some ponding on the figure-eight steeplechase track while areas on the course proper were saturated after heavy, persistent rain.

A photograph posted on Twitter on Friday by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Bernard Saundry showed a virtual lake in front of one obstacle on the steeplechase track, after 120mm of rain was recorded in the previous 48 hours.

‘‘There’s no chance of racing safely on the track,’’ Treweek said.

The meeting will not be rescheduled, either.

Options were investigated for an alternate date for a postponed meeting but with poor weather forecast through next week, a suitable date wasn’t available and the meeting was abandoned.

‘‘Obviously it would have been preferable for the races to be run at Trentham but the switch to Hastings is a much better outcome than losing two of our most significant jumping races,’’ NZTR general manager of racing, Matthew Hall, said.

‘‘It will also help those horses preparing for the Grand National meeting at Riccarton,’’ he said of the meeting staged in early August.

The original fields for the steeplechase and hurdles will stand for the Thursday meeting.

The hurdles, originally scheduled at 3400m, will now be run over 3100m while the steeplechase will remain about 5500m.