The past seven Melbourne Saturday meetings have had their first race run on Good 3 ground. Enough is enough. You have water. Use it.
Dead 4 should be the aim for all racing clubs. With irrigation systems in place at all our metropolitan racing venues, we can control the condition of our tracks.
But we don’t – and the horses are suffering.
While industry administrators prioritise punters too highly through their management of bookmakers and broadcasting, the safety of our horses is non-negotiable.
Although a horse may not hurt themselves immediately from running on hard ground, the long-term effects are career ending. It is so bad that trainers often avoid Good ground with their horse’s future and wellbeing in mind.
The problem with having the last seven Melbourne Saturday meetings on firming Good 3 ground is that we are not going to get the best possible fields throughout spring. At a time of the year when races have richer purses than any other, it is imperative that we get the best quality racing possible.
But this can’t be done if we start every Saturday race meeting on firming Good 3 ground.
The biggest issue with these firming Good 3 tracks, which we have been dealing with over the past two months, is that horses jar up from them. Simply a little bit of jarring up can put a horse’s entire preparation in turmoil.
We saw it last week with Puissance De Lune.
When trainers carefully plan a race program for their horses, they should not have to worry about dangerous tracks ruining their plans. Owners are paying thousands of dollars a year for their horse to be trained so they tend to want to watch them race.
When firm tracks prevent horses from running or creating long-term stress on their body, we have a big problem because it creates an awful experience for owners. So many of those first-time owners who have a bad experience never return to the industry but it seems the racing clubs don’t care.
Very little is achieved by having rock hard tracks. Punters may like the consistency of horses on firm ground because those that can handle it tend to do so for the rest of their careers. Those that do not are saved for the winter months or scratched on raceday.
The financial factor of constantly watering tracks should be irrelevant because as mentioned earlier, safety of the horses is non-negotiable. When races are as exciting as they are during spring, there is more than enough betting turnover for someone to pay the water bill.
If we want the best horses to be racing at their best in spring, they need to be looked after. No one wins by having these firming Good 3 tracks when we have systems in place to put a bit of give in the ground.
Stop making the horses and their owners suffer.
E-Meter
Guest
Is that you Dermot Weld?
Brad
Guest
How do you prepare a dead 4 for race 10 on a hot day with a westerly blowing? Start with a heavy 8?
michael steel
Guest
All I can say Albert is too many horses pulled up lame from Saturday's Caulfield Guineas meeting.
BrisburghPhil
Roar Guru
Well it was okay to doctor the tracks when Makybe Diva was around so it's a mystery to me why they didn't continue that policy to the current day rightly or wrongly.
pat malone
Guest
i think it has something to do with so many northern hemisphere horses being here now that are not used to hard ground. we have raced on good 3 and higher for decades and now we have to adjust because we couldnt breed our own stayers and needed to import them
The Doctor
Guest
I remember during the 90's we would often see tracks rated 'Fast'. I would always assess the form like I would a heavy track. Look for proven performers in the conditions. The reluctance to post a metro meeting at anything firmer than a Good 3 makes it very hard to do that now.
Scuba
Guest
No he isn't: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horseracing/puissance-de-lune-out-of-melbourne-caulfield-cups-20141006-10qswz.html http://www.thoroughbrednews.com.au/Australia/Default.aspx?id=76055&page=1&keyword=
Rock
Guest
What about back in the day when they were racing on fast tracks? Maybe the 'new age' horses are just to soft. The trainers know the conditions and water guidelines set, the track is prepared for a Good 3 for race 1. If you don't want the horse racing on a firm surface scratch it, the same principle is used when trainers scratch a horse due to a wet surface.
Tim
Guest
Maybe they should breed tougher horses, they used to race on good and fast tracks in the 80's and early 90's. That was when some of the best were doing the rounds, week in week out. I've found the form throughout this carnival very consistent, thats partly due to the tracks playing fairly and not been "doctored" to suit a few whinging trainers
Danzero
Guest
Terry Henderson at OTI Racing just said the exact same thing... “If we’re supposed to be caring for the welfare of the horses this is not the way to do it,” he told Racing Network on Thursday morning. “We have to take more care – these tracks are simply too hard,” he said. Henderson said Lord Van Percy’s program will be determined by how he recovers from racing this Saturday. “If he won the Herbert Power on Saturday he’d be unlikely to go to the Caulfield Cup,” he said. “He wouldn’t be able to back-up because the tracks are too hard. "If he wins on Saturday we’ll more than likely go straight to the Melbourne Cup. "If he doesn’t, we’ll likely go to the Lexus on Derby Day,” he said. Henderson said the track issue was becoming very serious. “Whatever happened to the policy of preparing ‘dead 4’ tracks at the start of a race-day? "That seems to have disappeared at the moment,” he said.
Albert
Guest
I don't think jarring up comes up on those reports because the full effects are not seen until the following day. They go from such strenuous activity to no movement overnight and then pull up sore.
kv joef
Guest
the grass cushion and the root substrate is key. those factors should determine the consistency of the ground ... and it gets wet after that ... lot of research worldwide going into it at the moment. and some solutions have gone horribly wrong but it is only early days. but if they are going to homogenize tracks to track-condition standard ... i wouldn't be happy.
Adam Page
Roar Guru
Flemington has one of the best, if not the best, irrigation system in Australia. They can have a stack of rain prior to a race meeting, and say on race day morning, they are on a Dead5. But come race two, it'll be a Good3 and firming to a Good2. I think using PDL as an example isn't ideal. He did run a cracker in the Makybe Diva on a very firm track, beaten less than a length. He has had leg issues in the past, so it doesn't really surprise me that he jarred up after the Turnbull, plus I think against the top class horses, I don't think he runs 2000m. Lucia Valentina was touted as just a wet tracker, and her firm track runs prior to the Turnbull were ok. But she blew them away despite having foot troubles days before. Looking at the stewards report from the weekend, only three runners, excluding PDL, pulled up lame; A two year old, three year old filly and a listed Adelaide galloper. I think as a whole, the horses are handling it. It's just that some prefer sting in the ground aka PDL, The Offer, Silent Achiever.
Bruce
Guest
Ralphy is going to love this article.... some horses don't like hard tracks - maybe the trainers should run them in winter then? You can't please everyone - the official verdict from Racing Victoria is that a Good 3 is a perfect surface for racing - surely they have research etc. to back this up - you have quoted 1 horse jarring up as your evidence... I think I'll listen to RV and go with the Good 3 thanks.
SpearTackle
Roar Rookie
The weather in Melbourne is whack. A sudden shower and you're running the Melbourne Cup on a slow track.
Peter Felton
Guest
Mate - he's out for the spring after jarring up in the Turnbull: http://www.horseracing.com.au/news/puissance-de-lune-to-miss-the-remainder-of-the-spring-carnival/
Scuba
Guest
This is a complicated and controversial issue. An article consisting of a series of sweeping statements with no analysis and one average example does it no justice. PDL has been injury plagued, including the Cox Plate on the softer Strathayr surface - plus his "injury" will result in him missing races he can't win (the Cups) and heading for a race he might be able to win (the Mackinnon). Also, as far as training plans are concerned, didn't the trainer announce at the start of the spring that PDL would be kept to shorter distances anyway?