Racing Queensland likely to hold firm in Stradbroke turf war
THE venue for this year’s $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap hangs in the balance as the Brisbane Racing Club sets itself for a showdown with Racing Queensland.
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THE venue for this year’s $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap hangs in the balance as the Brisbane Racing Club sets itself for a showdown with Racing Queensland on Monday morning.
Racing Queensland on Sunday ordered the BRC switch tracks for this Saturday’s Queensland Oaks meeting.
In the wake of scathing criticism from leading trainers and jockeys after Saturday’s Eagle Farm meeting, Racing Queensland interjected and ordered the meeting be transferred to either Doomben or Caloundra.
But after a marathon phone hook-up between directors last night, the BRC is set to challenge RQ’s ruling and have sought an urgent meeting with the control body this morning.
The BRC will argue the track is safe for racing, submit that curator Evergreen concurs the track is safe and that turnover from Saturday’s Kingsford Smith meeting matched up with figures from last year.
RQ is likely to hold its ground and insist the prestigious program is run away from the maligned Eagle Farm surface.
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On Saturday, BRC officials insisted the carnival would continue at Eagle Farm as scheduled.
But a groundswell of negative commentary around the performance of the track on Saturday forced Racing Queensland to intervene.
Racing Queensland chief executive Eliot Forbes said the decision to move was in order to present the best surface for Group 1 racing.
“We are focused very clearly on making decisions that are in the best interests of the entire industry,” Forbes said.
“Safety is of critical importance, but there are other considerations, including the appearance of our racing and getting the best possible surface.”
Ominously, a decision is yet to be made on the Stradbroke, but if Racing Queensland has ruled Eagle Farm unfit for Group 1 racing this Saturday, then it’s unlikely an extra week will make a difference.
The Queensland branch of the Australian Trainers Association asked for feedback from members on Sunday morning and the response was overwhelmingly in favour of moving the carnival meetings to another venue.
“We are fully supportive of the decision made by Racing Queensland,” state executive Cameron Partington said.
“We understand the BRC’s position and have sympathy for their plight, but we gave them every opportunity to show the track was OK.
“But on the first day of the carnival without weather intervention, the track, although it raced safe, was clearly below the standard required for any racing, let alone Group 1s.
“If we happened the get unfavourable weather in the next fortnight, the track becomes potentially unraceable, which would be a bigger mess than we are already in.
The fallout from this move will be considerable.
The Oaks and Stradbroke meetings are the BRC’s biggest revenue raisers for the year and the shift will come at considerable expense to the club.
Weir applauds RQ on tough Oaks call
TRAINER Darren Weir and New Zealand’s biggest owner David Ellis have applauded the decision to move Saturday’s Queensland Oaks meeting away from Eagle Farm.
A new venue was expected on Sunday night.
Ellis’s Te Akau Racing won Saturday’s BRC Sires Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm with Melody Belle, but Shocking Luck failed badly in the Grand Prix.
“Eagle Farm is a track we’ve had a lot of success on over the years and I love racing there, but if the track is not up to Group 1 standard, they need to move the meeting to a track that is,” Ellis said.
“I understand it must be heartbreaking for the club because it’s a great club.
“We just hope they get back to a great course sooner rather than later.”
Melody Belle was considered a near certainty to win the Group 1 J.J. Atkins on Saturday because of her ability to handle Eagle Farm, but Ellis said she was good enough to win anywhere.
Weir agreed the move was the right one.
“It will give you a little more confidence,” he said.
“The way the track was, you didn’t know how your horse was going to run.
“They need to be congratulated, because at least they are trying to do something about.”
Originally published as Racing Queensland likely to hold firm in Stradbroke turf war
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