Eagle Farm stays firm over track plans despite criticism over state of surface

EMBATTLED Eagle Farm will race on as administrators move to stem the tide of public opinion against the new surface following Saturday’s meeting.

Nathan Exelby

2 min read

June 26, 2016 - 4:00PM

Jockey Hugh Bowman and Cellarman take out the Wintergreen Stakes after a tracking a wide route at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

EMBATTLED Eagle Farm will race on as administrators move to stem the tide of public opinion against the new surface following Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara meeting.

Jockeys flatly refused to go near the inside fence and later in the day it became a race to the outside fence, to the point where a jockey was suspended because he ran out of room on the outside pad.

Publicly, trainers are backing the track but privately some have concerns about the way the track has performed at its first two outings.

There have even been calls to cease racing there until the root system improves.

Racing Queensland acting chief executive Sam Adams said there would be no deviating from the plan at this stage.

“Four midweek meetings have already been shifted but all of the experts are telling us that it needs to be raced on and that’s what the plan remains.’’

Champion trainer Chris Waller understood the frustration of punters and respected their right to vent anger but believed the track would come good in time.

“Our stable is represented around Australia and you never go through a carnival without controversy about a track,” Waller said.

Jockey Damian Brown and Miss Cover Girl skirted the outside fence in order to find the better going before winning the Tattersall's Club Tiara. Picture: AAP

“Look at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day, Flemington on Derby day and then Randwick through the Championships. Eagle Farm is not on its own.

“I am sure they are on the right path. It’s a well laid out course and they just need the root system to develop.

“What I would say is that they shouldn’t be afraid to go and have a look at what they do in other places, like Hong Kong for instance, and learn from experiences at other tracks.”

Brisbane Racing Club chairman Neville Bell said the club was “not panicking”.

“We acknowledge the sentiments but the logic is that we need to give it time.

‘‘We are going to cop criticism, but we have to listen to the experts.

“We still have every confidence in the track.

‘‘It’s a young track that has to mature.”

Bell was disappointed jockeys decided to race away from the fence, virtually from the start of the meeting.

“There’s hardly a footprint within 5m of the rails. It wasn’t even tested in there,” he said.