While Sydney has been blessed with near perfect weather conditions for Australian Derby Day and the appearance of Black Caviar, South East Queensland hasn’t fared as well with rain forcing the abandonment of the Doomben and Gold Coast meetings.
Black Caviar ready to claim her 25th straight win in the T J Smith Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
The Randwick track has be rated a dead 5 after a heavy 8 was posted early in the week and will guarantee a perfect racing surface plus clear skies for the huge crowd that will pack in to see Black Caviar charge towards her twenty-fifth straight win in the Group 1 $1m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m).
The Australian Turf Club have programmed the T J Smith as the last of nine races on the card making sure the enthusiastic crowd gets to enjoy the whole day’s racing which includes the running of the Group 1 $1.5m David Jones Australian Derby (2400m) and the Group 1 $500,000 Inglis Sires Produce Stakes (1400m).
“I’m just so pleased where we are at right now, considering the amount of rain we had last week,” Racecourse Manager Revesh Ramdhani said.
“We were virtually under water.”
“The weather has come good for us at the right time, we’ve got a lovely breeze here now and it’s quite warm.
With the cancellation of today’s Doomben meeting, the Brisbane Racing Club has transferred next Wednesday’s Eagle Farm meeting to Doomben with the following distance amendments _ 1400m will now become 1350m, 1000m will now become 1010m and 1500m will now become 1600m.
With the loss of today’s meeting at Doomben, the Listed $100,000 Brisbane Racing Club Queensland Day Three Year Old Plate over 1350m will be transferred to Doomben on Wednesday, 17th of April as accepted, with all scratchings reinstated.
Flemington has been rated a Dead 4 today while Morphettville will be racing on a Good 3.
