New South Wales Racing Chairman Of Stewards Ray Murrihy said that today’s Doncaster Milemeeting at Randwick is in danger as more rain continues to tumble across the Sydney area.
Super 3yo Pierro heads the markets for the Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Randwick track has received 42.4mm of rain over the last week and 22.6mm over the past twenty-four hours and with rain still falling this morning Murrihy expects the Randwick track to deteriorate as the day progresses.
Randwick track manager Nevesh Ramdhani handed out a heavy 8 rating this morning but Murrihy expects the track to quickly down grade to a heavy 10.
“It’s pretty dismal over here, you can’t paint any different picture than that,” Murrihy said.
“We’re an eight now and probably when we put out toe in it will be a nine, so it’s just one of those unfortunate things we can’t control.”
“But it’s a great days racing, it’s just a pity the weather gods aren’t kind to us.”
When the question was put to Murrihy if the meeting was in doubt, he wasn’t full of confidence that the day’s racing would be completed.
“The risk is if it continued to rain heavily and it affected visibility. There is no semblance of surface water or drainage problems that would cause us to call it off that way. It’s what happens when the track opens up, that’s the issues. We’ll just have to watch the weather in the next hour or so.”
The Group 1 $2m BMW Doncaster Mile (1600m) and the Group 1 $550,000 Patinack Farm Australian Oaks (2400m) are the highlights of the BMW Sydney Carnival today.
Sydney’s super colt Pierro is a drifting favourite but will still give trainer Gai Waterhouse a great chance to chalk up her eighth Doncaster victory and surpass he legendary father Tommy Smith with whom she shares the record of seven wins in the famous Randwick Feature Mile.
Pierro will have to create a weight carrying record for a three year old if he is to win with 57kg and is currently heading the Doncaster Mile markets at $3 in front of Appearance, who has very good form on rain affected tracks and is a $7.50.
Three year old filly Norzita is a $10 chance with topweight Shoot Out at $13.
New Zealand Derby winner Habibi remains at the top of the Australian Oaks market at $3 ahead of last week’s Adrian Knox winner Royal Descent at $4.60.
Dear Demi, with the blinkers off, is next in the betting at $5.50 just ahead of the John Thompson trained Longport at $6.
The New South Wales’ provincial meeting at Kembla Grange and the Coffs Harbour meeting set down for today have been postponed due to the recent heavy rainfall across the eastern part of the state resulting in both tracks becoming unsuitable for racing.
