The Melbourne Racing Club has hit out at jockeys who claimed their track was unsafe, saying a 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 also claimed that jockeys ‘’clearly did not understand how turf plugs work’’.
Senior jockeys from Saturday let a cohort of riders that complained about several parts of the Caulfield track where clumps of dirt could be easily removed. Footage shows a number of clumps being easily removed where the plugs were, which former riding great Darren Beadman illustrated before race time.
Racing at Caulfield on Saturday was delayed after jockeys raising their safety concerns with elements of the track in the hours before the meeting was due to begin. The running rail was eventually moved by 4m.
Betsy is aware of some riders who say without the rail movement, they would not have competed on the day.
A review of the track was ordered, with Betsy told it would be independent, but it is not clear whether it was done by the club itself.
But the MRC on Tuesday sensationally rejected criticism of their track, saying their ‘’review concluded that the jockeys were incorrect in their view that the turf plugs made the track unsafe.’’
The statement also said a review ‘’found that the track, as presented, was safe for racing and that the turf plugs used in preparation of the track had been correctly installed.’’
Club CEO Tanya Fullerton also claimed that ‘’jockeys clearly did not understand how turf plugs work’’.
‘’ “Our review found no safety issue with the Caulfield racing surface. The turf plugs were correctly installed, the track as presented was safe for racing and the rail did not need to be moved. The track subsequently raced safely and fairly throughout the meeting. Dozens of exactly the same turf plugs remained on other sections of the track that continued to be raced on after the rail movement, with no issues for jockeys and horses,’’ she said.
“The jockeys clearly did not understand how turf plugs work. The jockeys’ claim that being able to pull the tops off the plugs somehow showed that the track was unsafe is nonsense. Turf plugs are routinely installed a few days before a race day and are always able to be physically pulled up, as grass plugs take at least two weeks to bind with the rest of the turf profile. This has been standard practice for over 25 years and is not a problem – they remain in place while horses gallop over them, with no risk to jockeys or horses.”
But the club, given ongoing concerns about the Caulfield track, has announced an ‘’additional independent track inspection process’’ to be led by former riding great Damien Oliver.
According to the MRC ‘’Oliver will inspect the track with the track manager on the day before each relevant race meeting. Any safety concerns identified by Oliver will be raised directly with Racing Victoria stewards, who will assess the issue and determine whether any remedial action is required ahead of racing’’.
”Saturday showed the importance of ensuring any concerns about a racing surface are properly assessed, with the appropriate technical input, before significant decisions are made on race day,” Fullarton said.
“The stewards were placed in an extremely difficult position, with concerns raised by jockeys less than an hour before the first race
“With the limited time available, they were unable to properly consult with our track team about the purpose, installation and condition of the plugs before making the incorrect decision to move the rail.
“Our track team complied with that direction so the meeting could proceed, but this is not how these issues should have to be dealt with on race day.”
“The new inspection process will give jockeys and participants confidence in the racing surface and allow any genuine concerns to be identified and addressed by stewards and race clubs well before racing.”
