The rescheduled Magic Millions meeting will now be run next Thursday at the Gold Coast

After a dramatic day at Gold Coast racecourse the last eight races of the Magic Millions card will now be run next Thursday.

Stewards inspect the Gold Coast track before calling off the Magic Millions meeting. Picture: Grant Peters–Trackside Photography

The most dramatic seven days in Gold Coast racing history has culminated in the mega-rich Magic Millions card being postponed until Thursday after extraordinary scenes.

Seven days earlier, track officials were forced to disrobe and swim after a runaway racehorse as they performed a rescue in a local canal.

Then on Tuesday, a pair of horses crossed light rail lines and the busy Gold Coast Highway after escaping from a racing promotion at the Magic Millions barrier draw on Surfers Paradise beach.

Incredibly, the drama continued on Saturday with only two races run before jockeys voted to call off the Magic Millions meeting and stewards also deemed the track unsafe for racing.

Officials who had watered the track during the week were blindsided when a forecast of only 1mm of rain on race morning turned into more than 14mm and the track may have also been impacted by a rogue sprinkler.

⚠️The @mmsnippets meeting at @GCTurfClub has been postponed (R3-R10) due to the state of the track and withdrawal of the jockeys services. ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/PJoXPxBaUf

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 14, 2023

The world’s best jockey James McDonald declared the track unsafe for racing after riding a rookie two-year-old in race two

“I was on an inexperienced two-year-old and I was on the inside and it slipped,” McDonald said.

“After the first race, the riders gave the track the benefit of the doubt.

“But in the end, the right decision was made.”

Rush Hour reigns supreme in the @mmsnippets Debut with @KobyJennings on board! pic.twitter.com/Tm2UFUPju0

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 14, 2023

The postponement of the rich raceday led to a high-powered pow-wow when Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell, Magic Millions supremo Barry Bowditch and stewards put their heads together to try to work out what to do with the meeting.

Various options were pondered including pushing the meeting back 24 hours and even racing next Saturday – but Thursday was the consensus.

“Thursday was deemed the best day for the track to repair after this misty rain that’s been coming through and we have some showers forecast on Monday and Tuesday,” Parnell said.

“There was no guarantee we would have an improved track by Wednesday, so we thought Thursday was the best day.

“We considered racing elsewhere but this is an iconic Gold Coast race meeting and we wanted to give it the best possible chance to be raced at the Gold Coast.”

Punters waited patiently hoping the weather would clear and the meeting could proceed. Picture: Mike Batterham

The Gold Coast track was due to be ripped up on Monday as part of a $63m redevelopment but that will now be pushed back.

Queensland chief steward Josh Adams said stewards would work through other issues, including examining the cases of jockeys who had been due to start suspensions after Magic Millions day.

It is likely any jockey who was due to start a riding ban after Magic Millions day will now be able to ride at the rescheduled day on Thursday.

Final field bets on the races which were not raced on Magic Millions day have been refunded.

Champion trainer Paul Snowden, who has Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic favourite Empire Of Japan, said the correct decision was made to postpone Magic Millions day.

"It's certainly not going to hold up throughout the meeting... I'd like to see it postponed myself." @SnowdenRacing1 provides their thoughts on the @GCTurfClub track. pic.twitter.com/9lNTZZZyUD

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 14, 2023

But Snowden was surprised it was not made after senior riders made complaints about the track following the first race.

“For me, it’s all about your horse coming through this meeting and what has happened here isn’t ideal for anyone,” Snowden, who co-trains with his father Peter, said.

“I was surprised they didn’t call it off after the first race.

“This (the races being postponed) was always going to happen.

“They tried their best but it was never going to work.”

Originally published as The rescheduled Magic Millions meeting will now be run next Thursday at the Gold Coast