FREE FOR ALL
The Age
Monday March 8, 2010
IN A bid to make up for what turned from Super Saturday to saturated Saturday for racegoers at Flemington, this weekend's meeting will have free entry.Victoria Racing Club chairman Rod Fitzroy said the committee met following the near-disastrous deluge that halted the Australian Cup program after race six and decided to throw open the gates for the 10-race card that will be held on Saturday.Fitzroy said that by making it free admission to the meeting, which will feature both held-over group 1 races, the Australian Cup and Australian Guineas, the club hoped to mirror Saturday's crowd of about 22,000. Public entry on Saturday cost $30."The forecast for Saturday was always for storms and rain and so we're pretty happy with the number that turned up and would hope for similar figures next Saturday with a very promising long-range forecast," Fitzroy told TVN.VRC track manager Mick Goodie reported yesterday that while the track was "battered and bruised" by the hail storm, it was the infrastructure that suffered most."There is debris everywhere and a lot of water got into the buildings and there was a fair amount of damage but the track itself is the least of our worries," he said. "We've got a big clean-up in front of us this week."Goodie said track staff worked until early in the morning yesterday to ensure that the morning's trackwork was not badly affected.Goodie said he was also amazed that more horses were not injured in the deluge as ice covered Flemington. Other than the winner Wanted, the other 18 runners in the Newmarket were hurried off the course after the $1 million race as there were frequent lightning strikes and black clouds had moved across the course.Many of the runners were trapped in the tunnel as the hailstorm hit and others were spooked while some horses slipped on the hail that had gathered at the tunnel exit to the birdcage area.Only King Pulse, who was badly injured, and Wanted broke free of their handlers. Wanted was grabbed by the clerk of the course John Patterson before he could bolt.However, Mike Moroney's promising three-year-old King Pulse faces at least six months on the sidelines after receiving numerous injuries when he bolted and ran into a fence.King Pulse has serious damage to a shoulder and a hip as well as lacerations and bruising.He was taken to the Werribee Veterinary Clinic on Saturday night, as was Gai Waterhouse's filly Gigas, who also has several injuries and will be spelled until at least next season.The postponement of the Australian Cup could provide a second chance for Melbourne Cup winner Shocking, who was scratched last Saturday with a foot abscess.If the four-year-old can throw off the ailment by tomorrow, he will gallop at Flemington and remain a chance to re-claim his spot.
© 2010 The Age
