Racing Victoria has backed the Victorian jockeys and their stewards over concerns the Caulfield track was unsafe on Saturday, after they both raised concerns with the surface.
RV said ”Stewards must prioritise horse and rider safety at all times” despite claims from the Melbourne Racing Club that the track was safe. It is a position that has now been challenged from RV and the Victorian Jockeys’ Association.
It comes as the MRC hit out at jockeys on Tuesday who claimed their track was unsafe, saying a club review from Saturday shows it” was safe and rail move unnecessary’’ and that the ”review concluded that the jockeys were incorrect in their view’’.
The club’s CEO Tanya Fullerton also claimed that jockeys ‘’clearly did not understand how turf plugs work’’.
It was a statement that the Victorian Jockeys’ Association labelled ‘’extraordinary’’, with its boss Matt Hyland vowing to ‘’back his members to the hilt’
In a statement to Betsy, RV’s Executive General Manager of Integrity Services, Jamie Stier, backed the stewards’ decision to move the rail on Saturday after they too had concerns with the track.
“Based on all the evidence available to us, we stand firmly by the Stewards’ decision to order the movement of the rail on race morning at Caulfield,’’ he said.
“The Stewards must prioritise horse and rider safety at all times. They were not prepared to compromise that position in the circumstances presented to them on Saturday.
“The Stewards acknowledge that the track staff at all venues endeavour to present an optimum racing surface for all race meetings.
“On this occasion, Stewards identified areas of concern with sections of the track in the home straight. Several riders subsequently raised similar concerns with the Stewards.
“The Stewards ultimately formed the opinion that sections of the track were unsafe for racing on that day. This was a view shared by multiple senior riders.
“The Stewards will continue to act in the best interests of the industry and all stakeholders with safety and welfare at the forefront of their minds.”
