12/12/14
Some Queensland and New South Wales racetracks have certainly received plenty of rain this week. In fact on the Weather Channel this morning at 7am they advised that Thangool – which is up near Rockhampton – had received “109mm” of rain, so that’s over four inches in the old, in the previous 24 hours.
Ipswich received its fair share of rain to the point where the thoroughbred meeting set down at that track for today was abandoned, which was a good thing for jockey and horse safety, as we certainly wouldn’t want a horse injured or a jockey fundraiser to emanate from a race meeting conducted on a heavy 9 or heavy 10 track rating there, given that Jim Byrne told Nathan Exelby in The Courier Mail only two weeks ago today, that “there are bare patches as big as dining tables scattered all down the straight”. Wouldn’t that be a recipe for a major drama for a race meeting to be conducted on a heavy track? Wonder will Jim Byrne ever be able to accept a ride at Ipswich racetrack again? If they are consistent, Kitching may get the bloke on the gate to go and ask him to leave the enclosure next time that he’s in it – for telling the truth about the track to a State-wide newspaper?
On the subject of the Ipswich Turf Club, I’ve had quite a few emails as to what has transpired regarding my being asked to leave the enclosure for no reason 14 days ago today. I have asked the Queensland Racing Media Association President, Nathan Exelby, to provide me with a written response following his discussions with Racing Queensland CEO Darren Condon and Ipswich Turf Club CEO Brett Kitching – so after I am in receipt of that I will make a decision on my options from there.
The drum around the traps at the Queensland Racing Media Association Christmas party and awards day last Monday at Gallopers, which is between Doomben and Eagle Farm, was that Racing Queensland CEO Darren Condon was flying out to Hong Kong later that night with fellow Racing Queensland staffer Rachel Mason to attend next Sunday’s race meeting there. So maybe we’ll have to wait for him to return from there to get his take on the matter.
Racing Queensland cadet Handicapper Sam Watson has advised the website that the scaled weights for Doomben tomorrow are: Race 6 – 1kg, Race 7 – 2kgs, Race 8 + 1.5kgs.
Brisbane Racing Club Track Manager Jim Roberts hasn’t advised the website by late today about the state of the Doomben track, so maybe he’s been washed away in floodwaters and is swimming out past New Caledonia somewhere? RISA says Doomben as at 5.30pm is a “soft 7” and the sun is out in Ipswich at 5.30pm – and it has been out for a couple of hours, so best wait until the morning to see where we are with the Doomben track.
The apprentice jockey weights for Doomben tomorrow should be:
JOCKEY
WEIGHT
Cassandra Schmidt
54 claims 3kgs
Jeanette Johnson
55 claims 3kgs
Matthew McGuren
55 claims 2kgs
Rikki Jamieson
50 claims 2kgs
Travis Wolfgram
54 claims 2kgs
James Orman
53 claims 3kgs
Bridget Grylls
49 claims 2kgs
Sam Payne
53.5 claims 3kgs
Today on www.brisbaneracing.com.au I preview Doomben Race 3, the 2YO, in search of wet trackers. On www.sydneyracing.com.au there’s a harness story about he 2YO pacer that sold for $85,000 at a Trialling Sale last Sunday – plus there’s all the stewards information re Whitlam returning a positive swab after winning in Adelaide, whilst on www.melbourneracing.com.au Matt Nicholls looks at Hong Kong.
The Postman told me today that he’s taking his normal break from racing that he takes at this time each year – and he’ll be back in February for Orr Stakes day when his report will go up again each Friday.