Lindsay Park co-trainer David Hayes’ wish for a drying track for Redkirk Warrior looks to be in vain with no significant improvement expected for the heavy rated Randwick track for the All Aged Stakes Race Day on Saturday.
Redkirk Warrior, above, won’t be suited by the wet track for the All Aged Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Hayes, who trains in partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, was hoping for a drying track to held the chances of Redkirk Warrior in the weight for age Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m).
Redkirk Warrior scored a brilliant first up win in the Group 1 $1.25m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 11 but then struggled on a heavy 8 rated track when eleventh to It’s Somewhat in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 1.
“He got a pretty ordinary run in transit from the wide gate the other day. The mile and sticky ground didn’t suit him,” Hayes said.
“Hopefully the ground improves. At the moment I would be less confident the wetter it is but if it is an improving track on the day he will run well.”
Randwick racecourse manager Nevesh Ramdhani has rated the track a heavy 9 on Thursday afternoon following a further 27mm of rain over the last twenty-four hours and can’t see it improving significantly even with the sun shining.
“As we stand the sun is coming out beautifully after we had 27mm if rainfall overnight,” Ramdhani said on Thursday afternoon.
“The track is currently rated a heavy 9 and the weather does look to be looking better as we head into the weekend.”
“Over the last two months Sydney has had just over 200mm of rainfall in February, 250mm in March and to date in April we have had 75mm of rain.”
“So there has been a lot of rain in Sydney, the tracks have handled it really well and I suspect we will race on a heavy track on Saturday given those rain fall figures but at least the sun is going to be shining come Saturday morning.”
Ramdhani said that he has pushed the rail out further from last Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day position of 3-4m with the new position being out 7m from the 1600m to the winning post and 5m for the remainder of the course.
“The rail moves out 7m from the mile to the winning post and 5m for the remainder and that has taken it past most of the wear from the last couple of race meetings through the carnival,” Ramdhani said.
Redkirk Warrior has been a drifter in the All Aged Stakes betting and is now marked at $8.50 with Ladbrokes.com.au after opening up at $6 when the final field was released in Wednesday.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained English who has excellent wet track form heads the market order at $3.40 fractionally ahead of another noted wet-tracker Le Romain at $3.70.
