Eagle Farm cleared to hold race meeting
Racing will return to Eagle Farm racecourse on Saturday week after a series of successful barrier trials and jump-outs.
Racing Queensland and the Brisbane Racing Club confirmed in a joint media release that the December 22 meeting set down for Doomben would be transferred to Eagle Farm
Queensland’s premier track has been mostly dormant for the past four years after problems with a redevelopment and no meetings have been held there since May 2017.
Two official barrier trials were conducted from the 1000m followed by two 800m jump-outs from the 1600m chute to test the back section of the course on Tuesday.
RQ senior track specialist Mick Goodie said the track performed well across all sections.
“The track has received 60 millimetres of irrigation since last Friday, including 10mm last night and 20mm on Sunday night, and had a nice cushion of grass,” Goodie said.
“The back straight performed just as well as the home straight and will continue to improve heading towards 22 December.”
Another meeting has been scheduled for Eagle Farm on January 19 but Goodie and the BRC track staff will assess the track’s recovery following Saturday week’s card.
Senior jockeys gave an endorsement for the new Eagle Farm track surface after the trials and jump-outs.
The Tony Gollan-trained My Girl Hayley won the first heat, for open handicap horses, running 57.60s, the last 600m in 33.49s.
The second heat, for restricted class horses, was won by the Chris Munce-trained Pony Power who ran 58.83s and got home the last 600m in 33.90s.
Jockeys who rode in the trials were full of praise for the track and believed it was a near perfect racing surface.
Jim Byrne led the way by saying the surface was perfect.
“It was a pleasure to ride on it,” Jim Byrne said.
Ron Stewart agreed and said he was more than happy with it.
“It feels good and there is no kickback,” he said.
Matt McGillivray said the surface was superb and had played well.
“There was no kickback and it looks to have held up well,” he said.
Dale Smith was another who gave the track the thumbs-up.
“We didn’t scuff it at all,” he said.