Feature jumps races reinstated at Warrnambool

The Warrnambool Racing Club has reinstated two feature jumps races to be run on Saturday in the wake of the abandonment of tomorrow’s Sportingbet Park meeting at Sandown.

Sandown was called off because of the condition of the track after a week of wet weather and with  last Sunday’s Warrnambool meeting also being abandoned, Racing Victoria has transferred the six flat races to Kilmore tomorrow and created a new meeting at Warrnambool to cater for the jumping fraternity.

“Unfortunately on-going rain has made the track at Sportingbet Park unsafe for racing tomorrow and thus we are unable to proceed with the meeting as programmed,” Racing Victoria’s Racing Operations Manager, Paul Bloodworth, said.

“Due to a combination of existing racing commitments, track renovations and the impacts of wet weather there was not a suitable transfer venue to take both the flat and jumps races so we have had to split the two.”

Kilmore’s fields and prize money will remain the same and the six event program will commence at 1.15pm.

This new seven-race card program at Warrnambool on Saturday will see the $100,000 3400m Thackeray Steeplechase and $100,000 3600m Kevin Lafferty Hurdle reinstated after their abandonment last Sunday at Warrnambool.

All jumps races will be run on the course proper as Brierley Paddock is too wet for racing.

In addition to the reinstated $100,000 features, the new Warrnambool meeting will contain a $20,000 3200m Maiden Hurdle and $30,000 0-120 3400m Steeplechase along with three $12,000 highweight flat races for jumps jockeys being a 1700m Maiden, 1200m 0-62 and 2000m 0-62.

Nominations for all races at Warrnambool have been opened and will close at midday tomorrow, Wednesday 4 July while the Kilmore track for tomorrow’s meeting has been rated a slow 7.

“Mother Nature has now forced the abandonment of three jumps meetings in the past month and with the Grand Nationals looming it’s important that we provide appropriate racing opportunities for horses and participants,” Bloodworth said.

“With the meeting scheduled for Warrnambool we are now in a position to reinstate the Club’s two feature races, the Kevin Lafferty Hurdle and Thackeray Steeplechase, and the $100,000 stake for each.”

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.