Racing Victoria (RV) has launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the Geelong turf track being downgraded twice despite its race meeting being held under sunny skies on Thursday.
Jockey Damien Oliver was among a band of disgruntled jockeys and trainers who branded the track a “disgrace”.
Stewards questioned the club’s chief executive Paul Carroll and president Paul Bongiorno over the track which deteriorated to a point where jockeys initiated a track inspection between the sixth and seventh events.
After the inspection, jockeys avoided the inside section of the course.
“It is a disgrace,” Oliver said. “It is not up to standard, it is as simple as that.”
Geelong was hosting its third meeting since March 3 when the rail was out six metres but it was moved back to the true position for a March 17 meeting and Thursday’s fixture which was run in sunny conditions.
Club officials and stewards rated the track a dead four before the meeting but its deteriorating root system was blamed for the downgrades to dead five and slow six after a heavy morning fog.
RV chief operating officer Bernard Saundry described Thursday’s events at Geelong as “unacceptable”.
“We will be seeking an explanation from the Geelong track manager and stewards officiating at the meeting on the condition of the track and the circumstances which led to the downgrades,” said Saundry.
Steward Rob Montgomery, who chaired the meeting, said Geelong had received 1.6mm of rain for the week.
None of that fell in the previous 24 hours, with 20mm of irrigation applied for the week – 3mm of that applied late on Wednesday.
“Two horses galloped on it this morning and didn’t mark it much at all,” said Montgomery. “However it appears the root system has deteriorated.
“The first race they cut it out and it just got worse and worse.
Oliver said the rail should’ve been moved before the meeting.
Fellow jockey Glen Boss was also outraged.
“I can’t believe it. It has been perfect weather but the track has no guts to it. It has just been ripped out,” said Boss.
Carroll said the track was suffering from wear and tear and was due for a renovation despite less than half the number of meetings being held on the track compared to a few years ago when at least 25 meetings were run annually.
It is the second time in three months that the Geelong track has attracted controversy.
The club’s Boxing Day meeting was abandoned after one race after a slicer and aerator couldn’t make the track safe because of its firmness.
