‘Shat himself’: Two-year-old night racing called off in Queensland after trainers’ push to ban it

A number of early season two-year-olds were struggling under the lights when racing at Toowoomba, resulting in officials moving forward their races to the start of the card.

Beau Dazzler bounced back with victory on Saturday after balking under lights the start prior. Picture: Natasha Wood —Trackside Photography.

Early season two-year-olds will no longer race under lights after Queensland racing officials agreed to a push from trainers to race earlier in the card.

The decision comes after it was revealed some of the young horses were “terrified” of the lights.

Racenet last week revealed a push from trainers to ban night racing for two-year-olds after the Tony and Maddy Sears-trained Beau Dazzler “shat himself” at Toowoomba, before coming to Brisbane on Saturday to win the Listed Phelan Ready (1000m) in a four-horse field.

After discussions between Racing Queensland and the Australian Trainers’ Association, the move was made to bring two-year-old races forward, especially in Toowoomba.

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“The ATA requested to Racing Queensland to change this and it’s something they have agreed to do,” ATA Queensland secretary Cameron Partington said.

“It will be one of the first races on the card. Two-year-old racing used to always be the first or second race, mainly because you didn’t want the young horses sitting around all day.

“Typically the turnover isn’t huge on them, so it was another reason to have it early on, but when it is a night meeting, they have been putting them at the end of the card when it is late at night.

Maddy Sears (right) was pushing for the change to two-year-old racing. Picture: Natasha Wood — Trackside Photography.

“There were two-year-olds going out there in the dark, they didn’t know what they were doing.”

While it may lead to a turnover hit, Partington said the move to bring two-year-old races forward would also solve a jockey issue in Toowoomba.

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“There was also the situation where there is a jockeys shortage in Toowoomba and the hardest race to find them is the first race because there are still ones coming up from Brisbane and Gold Coast,” he said.

“Because the turnover is good in the first race, they were putting on the ones with big fields, so horses were getting scratched as a result.

“This will assist the jockey situation with smaller fields and help these two-year-olds under lights.”

Originally published as ‘Shat himself’: Two-year-old night racing called off in Queensland after trainers’ push to ban it