Winning Post-1800m: This is the wettest part of the track and is well into the Heavy 8 range. Thankfully, it's not a high-speed section and it will be barely used apart from a very small section in the 2000m race.
1800-1200m: Thought this section was in the Soft 7 range. Very minor markings closer to the fence but it won't have a bearing on results. The grass coverage is surprisingly good for this time of year with the rye well established.
1200m-800m (chute): Slightly more wear than the back straight but still in the Soft 7 range. No lanes of advantage but walks like a surface that will retain moisture and as a result will chop out a touch with racing. With horses running in a straight line here they won't dig it up as much as they will when turning. Doubt there will be a rush to find the fence in this section, especially with the cross wind.
800m-400m: Also in the Soft 7 range. I thought from lanes 6 and beyond it walked slower and was retaining more moisture, probably through trackwork/jump outs previously wearing the track a touch. There's also a strip of very lush grass hard up on the fence which might race a little slower too. I thought lanes 2-5 were best going at the time of walking it.
400m-Winning Post: Still in the Soft 7 range in the straight. I still felt from lane 6 and beyond was worse ground but the inside would chop up with racing and would reach parity before the quaddie legs. There wasn't a lot of difference between lanes 2-5 and it walked slightly better than the rest of the lanes.
Verdict: I would rate the track a Soft 7 at time of walking it but any more rain would push it into the Heavy 8 range. There will be no upgrade with the surface likely to retain any water that falls on it. Early on I think lanes 2-5 would be the best ground but I expect the surface to chop out with racing and the inside will probably only be a slight edge for the first three or four races. It won't surprise me if the jockeys start looking for fresh ground towards the middle part of the card and I'd be penalising horses drawn inside gates in the last few races.
J V O'Neill, M M Coughlin, P W Rogers, S R Boschetti, A W Bell, Ms K L Stephens, R Musgrove, D Schwarzer, M A Snowden, G C W Bennett, R J Chipperfield, R A Smith, C J Frayne, G D Agnew, J S Shepley, Ms G B Bateman, Juan's Racing (Mgr: H J Burridge) & Table Boys (Mgr: A Veltmeyer)
Black And White Checks, Royal Blue Sleeves, Black And White Checked Cap
Owners
W B Kluske, G B Kluske, C R Sundberg, Mrs V H Maddern, D G Maddern, G Wingard, K Richardson, M J D Lynn, S Chin, A W Haberfield, A F Wright, G G Dungey, R J Gregor, S J Gregor, B D Gregor, B L Rosenberg, A W Cameron, T Denham, Mrs M A Yates & S J Sims
R M Warnock, P J Ninnis, D R Ward, C A Reynolds, J M Baker, J G Ashforth, G L Ashforth, S D Heaney, Ms J Heaney, Ms M B Smith, Mrs S K Reynolds, Miss K Searle, Mrs L A Warnock, Mrs P C Southern-Ninnis, Free Money Saturdays (J W Butcher) & Island Gold Diggers (K Heaney)
North Vic Racing (Mgr: R Still), The Circus (Mgr: D M O'Callaghan), P Byers, P A Cardamone, G A Dempsey, Mrs K Dempsey, M W Byers, W R Byers, G H Hogan, R D Kerry, P Quattrocchi, G A McGee, Mrs E M McGee, W V Leppard & S Wood
