The track was assessed at 4pm on Thursday.
Winning Post-1500m:
Expected to race evenly. The coverage is good for early Spring, with some give in the ground following rain earlier in the week. Rated a Soft 6 at the time of walking and expected to improve with favourable conditions.
1500-800m (back straight):
Some slight wear and tear on the fence from the meeting a fortnight ago, however still a solid coverage of grass and expected to race evenly. Expected to race well and consistent in its rating of a ‘6’ .
1400m-800m (chute):
Very good grass coverage during this section as expected and will race evenly. Horses will not be disadvantaged racing slightly away from the fence in this section of the track.
800m-400m:
With the rail out 9 metres from the 1000 metres to the Winning Post, there is some fill present on the fence and horses will commence to peel away from the fence to make their runs on the circle. In the two and three wide line, the surface is unblemished and will provide even ground and no disadvantage to horses commencing wider runs coming into the straight. Although the fence contains fill from the previous meeting, it is fairly even in terms of rating and still provides favourable conditions for horses racing on the fence. It is expected however, to see fields start to fan into the three and four wide line coming into the straight, particularly after the first race. The rating remains consistent at a ‘6’at the time of walking on Thursday afternoon.
400m-Winning Post:
With the rail out, it will be no surprise to see most of the track used in the straight. Although there is some fill evident on the inside half of the track, the straight seems consistent, with no comparable difference between any particular section. The straight presents well for this time of the year and the rail out gives fresh ground, which will be utilised in the straight for most races. There is an excellent coverage of grass evenly across the track and will improve into the ‘Soft 5’ range with continued good weather on Friday and race day.
Verdict:
The track presents in very good condition for early Spring and will race consistently, with a probably upgrade to a ‘Soft 5’ on Friday, or Saturday morning . Bear in mind though, with the rail in the same position for the first time since the meeting on 16th July, it can be difficult for backmarkers to make ground, particularly early in the day. More emphasis therefore, should be given to the pace of the race, barrier positions and horse’s racing patterns when assessing chances. Horses positioned close to the rail and able to race prominently may be slightly favoured earlier, with any pattern to be established in the first few races. It would not surprise to see most winners coming from the inside to the middle of the track, however horses also making ground out wider later in the day, when the inside starts to chop out.
