Eagle Farm track launch setback but Brisbane Racing Club adamant venue will be ready for winter

THE BRC insists Eagle Farm will be fit to stage its showpiece winter carnival meetings, despite Thursday’s decision to cancel a planned soft launch for May 11.

THE Brisbane Racing Club insists Eagle Farm will be fit to stage its showpiece winter carnival meetings, despite Thursday’s decision to cancel a planned soft launch for the redeveloped track on May 11.

In a PR disaster for the club and Racing Queensland, the postponed return is the latest setback in a project that dates back to August 2014.

It has heightened fears the track will not stand the pressure of the upcoming carnival.

BRC chief executive Dave Whimpey said the club made no apologies for “erring on the side of caution” and said professional advice was that the track would be perfect by the Oaks meeting on June 4.

“We have said all along we are not going to put at risk the investment made on this track and we will not return to racing until it is 100 per cent ready,” Whimpey said.

“We do not want to make the same mistakes that happened at other tracks where racing resumed too quickly.

“The track will benefit enormously from another couple of weeks, particularly the inside 4m section from the 300m to the winning post.”

The home straight with plenty of cover. Picture: Jack Tran

As a further safeguard, the BRC intends to ‘‘oversew’’ the course proper with rye grass.

Whimpey said a ‘‘going stick’’ used to measure shear strength illustrates just how far the track has improved in the past month and will continue to do so heading to June.

“When Buffering galloped in early March the shear strength was 4.5 out of 15. Before (Wednesday’s) gallops it was in the mid to high nines,” he said.

“So it’s almost doubled in those few weeks and that gives us huge confidence.”

The BRC will now seek the transfer of trials scheduled for Doomben on May 19 to Eagle Farm.

The trials will be open to the public and with several of the new facilities tested ahead of the Group 1 Oaks meeting.

“We need to road test a lot of the facilities we have put in and use that trial session to iron out any kinks we may find,” Whimpey said.

Brisbane Racing Club chief executive Dave Whimpey says professional advice is that the track will be perfect by the Queensland Oaks meeting on June 4. Picture: Darren England

Chief steward Allan Reardon watched the gallops at Eagle Farm on Wednesday and was happy to give the track his tick of approval.

“I spoke to all of the jockeys and every one of them was more than satisfied with the surface,” he said.

ROCKHAMPTON trainer Ricky Vale has lodged an appeal against his 18-month disqualification for his conduct towards officials last Friday. The appeal was granted, but the Racing Disciplinary Board did not grant Vale a stay of proceedings.

Originally published as Eagle Farm track launch setback but Brisbane Racing Club adamant venue will be ready for winter