The location of Saturday’s Magic Millions race day hinges on a gallop of six horses and leading jockeys, to take place early Thursday morning.
A section of the Gold Coast track was discovered to be damaged last week which forced Saturday night’s meeting to be transferred to the Sunshine Coast, but officials are confident the issue has been rectified just a few days out from their feature day.
Flemington track manager Liam O’Keefe was flown in to assist staff and help drop in a new section of turf, which officials believe may have been poisoned in a deliberate act of vandalism.
While the definitive cause of the issue is yet to be confirmed, Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott said he’s confident the staff have done everything in their power to ensure racing goes ahead at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
“We’re very, very confident that we’re going to race at the Gold Coast on Saturday. I’m not a tracks expert, I’ve learned a hell of a lot about turf in my period here in the last couple of years at Racing Queensland, but the gentlemen that have done this work have got incredible records both at Flemington [and] the SCG,” Scott said.
Scott took confidence from leading trainer Chris Waller, who inspected the track on Wednesday morning and said he was “very impressed” with the surface and that the new section of turf was “essentially fresh ground at this section, which means horses will have very good traction and the surf is going to be very safe.”
Six horses, to be ridden by experienced jockeys, will gallop the track on Thursday morning, and their judgment will help officials make a final decision, with Scott confirming the gallops will be broadcast live on Sky Channel at 8:00am.
“We will put six horses over that track tomorrow. It will be broadcast on Sky, and they will do it at eight o’clock in the morning. We’re still finalising exactly which jockeys are going to go over it, but we can assure you it will be the better jockeys in the country and jockeys with a lot of experience. From then, we hope to announce that we’re racing here on Saturday,” Scott said.
Scott also confirmed that if the Gold Coast track is deemed unsafe, Eagle Farm will host the Magic Millions meeting, while hospitality functions will remain at the Gold Coast.
