Racing is obviously an outside sport and track management is a difficult art.
So Betsy isn’t suggesting the cancellation of racing today due to track issues is second-rate – but it sure looks that way.
Tuesday’s Kyneton meeting was abandoned after just one race after three jockeys in the opener reported their mounts slipped coming around the home turn.
To think champion trainer Tony McEvoy was enjoying the thrills of winning a Caulfield Cup on Saturday, yet on Tuesday was walking the track at Kyneton as officials tried to work out how to complete more than one race.
After the running of race one, track staff attempted to aerate the inside section of the track to no avail. Ultimately, the decision went to a jockey vote. They voted abandon the meeting, likely for safety concerns.
There were multiple reports, including through the Racing.com broadcast, that participants had concerns with how the track was presented for the most recent meeting, just twelve days ago.
It’s notable on the replay from race one that horses are kicking up sizeable divots, despite jockeys reporting the track being ‘very firm’, often a sign the surface is shifty.
One racing.com presenter stood on the track and noted the surface was ‘’very firm’’ and also ‘’very slippery’’. So the obvious question is – how can it be firm and slippery and ultimately unsafe to race, but passed fit to race by stewards and track staff less than an hour earlier?
.@SamTaweets with the latest on track conditions at Kyneton 👇 pic.twitter.com/NXrXqyTr2R
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 21, 2025
There had been 46mm of irrigation applied to the track on top of 8mm of rainfall for the week in an attempt to ensure it remained in the Good 4 range for the start of racing, as per the Racing Victoria policy.
This is not an isolated incident at Kyneton. A meeting was abandoned back in March when stewards deemed a 100m section of the track unsafe, despite there being little rainfall.
The result is costly to owners and trainers. And, whether it’s a Group 1 at Flemington or a maiden at Kyneton, horses are prepared with a race in mind, so the next opportunity isn’t necessarily around the corner.
So how does it get to this? Betsy has asked RV for comment.
Track policy comes under Racing Victoria executive Jamie McGuinness. Most punters would have no idea who he is – he rarely does media and prefers to operate in the background.
You’d assume with yet another cancelled Victorian meeting McGuinness will be front and centre on Racing Victoria’s own media outlet apologising to participants who drove all that way only to be told they have wasted their time.
This isn’t the first time racing in Victoria has looked less than stellar to the wider sporting world with track issues often rearing their head.
The most infamous and recent example is the Stawell Cup that had been set as a big deal for the local community, with star sprinter Gout Gout paid to appear. It was canceled at the last minute due to track concerns. Racing tracks in Victoria struggling due to warmer weather and issues watering the track.
As it happens, here is an old video of McGuinness talking track policies.
Racing Victoria’s Jamie McGuinness talks about today’s announcement regarding changes to Victoria’s track policy. https://t.co/n5ERiChwon pic.twitter.com/9ycpKKgW0m
— Racing.com (@Racing) June 27, 2019
Meanwhile RV will compensate participants forced to make the drive, as they should.
