Winning post-1800 metres: Some wear and tear is evident following jump outs on Tuesday of this week and the inside two metres from the fence is quite worn. The rail goes out to the 10 metre position from the 1200 metres to the Winning Post and 6 metres for the remainder, for the first time in this position since 30th July. It walks in the Soft '6' range.
1800m-1200m: Some minor wear and tear from the inside two horses, so not a great disadvantage to be in this position, although the going is slightly better in the three wide line. The track walks in the '6' range and is reasonably consistent without a lot of use in this area.
1200m-800m: Noticeable wear on the fence and one off, so no disadvantage to be starting to get away from the fence at this point. The track has been rolled this week and cut, so the turf is quite short in length, with no significant growth yet. Walks as a '6'.
800m-400m: Noticeable damage from recent jump outs on the inside two horses and then reasonable ground out to five off the fence. With big fields, there will be horses looking to get away from the fence from this point and the ground is better away from the inside two horses. Even with the rail out 10 metres, it does not cover all the damage from recent use, so expect some noticeable fill and deterioration of the track in this region,as the day goes on.
400m-Winning post: Similarly, the better going is out in the 3-5 wide line as horses turn in the straight and expect that will be the order of the day with big fields and the rail out. Although the rail out can favour horses up on the pace, the going will definitely chop out with the Soft conditions and ten race card. Although favourable weather conditions are forecast, the track has conservatively been rated a Soft '7' as of Friday, with Stewards to assess again Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. It would be expected to race in the Soft range on Saturday.
Verdict: A genuine Soft track and expected to remain so for Saturday's 10 race card, without further rain.
Look for horses swooping from the middle to outer part of the track, as the fence will test horses in the run to the finish, particularly in the second half of the program.
Horses drawn wide and able to get cover in the three wide line, therefore shouldn't be too disadvantaged, as most of the track will be used, particularly in the home straight. A probable chance of an upgrade to be in the Soft '6' range by Friday afternoon, with a further assessment on race morning. Note however, the track will cut up noticeably throughout the day, with 7.5 mls of rain on Wednesday night, topping up 5.5 mls earlier in the week.
