Racing officials will monitor Sydney’s weather with a view to holding Saturday’s washed out Warwick Farm meeting on Monday.
But Australian Turf Club chief executive Darren Pearce admitted there would have to be a dramatic improvement in the track to attract trainers.
Surface water on the track prompted Racing NSW stewards to call the meeting off early on Saturday morning following more than 30mm of rain overnight in addition to deluge earlier in the week.
“We rang around trainers and 33 trainers said they would not run on Monday if the track remained heavy,” Pearce said.
“At this stage most probably the meeting will be abandoned but we will hold off to give the track time to see how it responds to the sunshine.
“We will work with trainers to look for opportunities to reschedule some races, possibly at Rosehill next week.”
With Sydney on the verge of the autumn carnival, Pearce said it was important to try to reschedule races especially those involving two and three-year-olds.
Among those missing a run on Saturday is flying filly Karuta Queen with her trainer Neville Layt one prepared to race on Sunday or Monday if the opportunity arises.
Layt said he may be forced to give her a barrier trial instead ahead of a start in the Light Fingers Stakes in two weeks.
Although Sydney had been hammered by rain all week, Friday night’s Canterbury meeting went ahead but Pearce said it was not an alternative to Warwick Farm.
“After the meeting last night Canterbury was rolled so it’s not suitable,” he said.
He said Warwick Farm was the only one of Sydney’s four racetracks that had not had an upgrade to its facilities in recent times.
“It is the only track in Sydney that hasn’t been rebuilt with modern drainage,” Pearce said.
“We are working very hard to raise the funds to rebuild the track.”
The next ATC meeting is scheduled for Hawkesbury on Wednesday and Pearce said there was a possibility the meeting could be transferred to Warwick Farm depending on which track had the better surface.
Sydney is relying on just three tracks due to reconstruction at Randwick.
AAP TURF
