The Roar
The Roar

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Racing on Good Friday is here, and it's a rare opportunity for the sport

Racing fans line up for the start of Race 9 at Derby Day Randwick. (Photo: Paul Barkley/LookPro)
Editor
13th March, 2017
8

Racing at this time of year is usually for following horses into Group 1 wins, but suddenly there’s so much happening the form needs to be put aside for a second.

Off the track, news about possibly moving the Melbourne Cup came and went within a day or two. It was a test by someone down in Victoria, run up the flag pole and then shot to bit.

Nevertheless, while racing may actually benefit from a shake-up of the spring carnival, this was deemed too much of a sacred cow. The first Tuesday in November it will remain. Of course, the AFL found a way to move the grand final from the old ‘last Saturday in September’ without attracting too much scorn, so don’t think we haven’t seen it raised for the last time.

On track, the Newmarket Handicap was won by a horse first-up, defying 100 years of history in Redkirk Warrior at odds. (Bless handicaps!)

Humidor won the Australian Cup, running down Jameka in a very fast race.

Staying on track and looking ahead, Winx should meet Chautauqua this Saturday in the Group 1 George Ryder (1400m) at Rosehill which is particularly intriguing – but we’ll save that juicy clash and all the Golden Slipper chat for later this week.

In a mix of on and off track headlines, Flemington’s surface attracted more criticism. While few were taking the Michelle Payne approach of attacking track manager Mick Goodie, it’s clear the track visually has a shorter inside cut of grass and plenty of questions are being asked as to why the rail wasn’t moved. The ‘fast lane’ is up for debate but if people are talking about it rather than the racing, it’s an issue.

The ATC also managed to do good, cutting beer and food prices by up to 33 per cent. Fair play.

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But the off-track issue that caught my attention the most was one of racing’s other sacred cows now resembling a dodo.

winx-hugh-bowman-horse-racing-cox-plate-2016

Good Friday racing is here
Good Friday racing will happen for the first time.

WA is the first state to fall away from one of the only two days in the year that horses aren’t on a track somewhere. Ascot will stage an eight-race card on April 14 that will include the $200,000 Group 3 Sires Produce Stakes.

That leaves just Christmas Day as the one day a year without horses on track.

In comments made by Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA), it seems the inevitable became just that.

“AFL, rugby league and soccer will all be played on Good Friday in Australia this year and it is clear that not only those events but also our own consultation process, community attitudes to the day have changed,” said David Hunter, RWWA’s manager of Commercial Racing and Planning.

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We don’t need racing on Good Friday. And there’s certainly enough gambling in the world already.

But the prospect of Good Friday racing is probably too good to be ignored, even if we don’t see it in NSW or Victoria this year or for a few more years. Not everyone will be happy once they do fold but that will die down and it will be just another day before too long, religious considerations respectfully put aside.

Jockey Glen Boss on Kermadec leads the pack

Think of the options. It opens up the Championships to a meeting across Friday and Saturday rather than split across weeks. It gives Melbourne racing a new avenue in the autumn which doesn’t hold a match to the spring.

Could we even see exciting new races and innovations, giving Principal Racing Authorities and clubs all kinds of good headaches?

I’m barely scratching the surface of what could be – it’s not often racing gets to start something from scratch and create a new tradition that doesn’t forgo the old traditions.

Have a go at the Good Friday concept if you dare, Roarers!

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