Flemington track manager Liam O’Keeffe answers Gold Coast SOS after track poisoning drama ahead of 2025 Magic Millions

Vastly-respected Flemington track manager Liam O’Keeffe will fly to Queensland today to answer an SOS from racing officials over the Gold Coast’s track poisoning drama.

Flemington track manager Liam O'Keeffe will lend his experience to the Gold Coast Turf Club to fix their track after it was damaged by chemicals.

Vastly-respected Flemington track manager Liam O’Keeffe will fly to Queensland today to answer an SOS from racing officials over the Gold Coast’s track poisoning drama.

O’Keeffe famously saved the day for Flemington in 2022 when a protester pumped 1000 litres of an oily substance onto the track just hours before the staging of that year’s Melbourne Cup.

Working against the clock on Melbourne Cup morning, O’Keeffe and his team were able to repair the damaged section of the track so the meeting could safely go ahead.

The following day, they successfully removed the damaged patch of turf near the 1500m mark, re-sod with fresh turf and had the track in working order for VRC Oaks Day.

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Contacted by Racenet, O’Keeffe confirmed he was jetting into the Gold Coast on Sunday to work with Gold Coast Turf Club officials on the section of turf at the 500m mark that had been severely damaged by chemicals.

The incident, which is being investigated by police, forced the relocation of Saturday’s Sunlight slot race meeting to the Sunshine Coast.

The Gold Coast Turf Club and Racing Queensland are currently considering a “drop-in pitch” plan, in which turf from the damaged section of track would be removed and replaced with existing turf from another part of the racecourse.

The damaged section of the Gold Coast track on Saturday morning. Picture: Supplied

• Magic Millions at Gold Coast next week hinges on ‘drop-in pitch’ plan

It is understood a high-powered meeting will today consider a contingency plan if the problem is not able to be fixed in time to host Saturday’s Magic Millions meeting, which features $3m 2YO Classic and the $3m 3YO Guineas.

Thursday looms as D-Day for the Gold Coast Turf Club and Racing Queensland for a decision on where the Magic Millions meeting will be staged.

Eagle Farm and the Sunshine Coast, which successfully hosted Saturday’s meeting at short notice, loom as the logical options.

Originally published as Flemington track manager Liam O’Keeffe answers Gold Coast SOS after track poisoning drama ahead of 2025 Magic Millions