Changes made to Vic racing program

Racing Victoria has announced some programming changes resulting from the cancellation of racing on Anzac Day.

Meetings were called off in Victoria on Tuesday at Flemington and Moe as a mark of respect for jockey Dean Holland who was killed in a race fall at Donald on Monday.

Racing resumes at Ballarat on Wednesday, with the second of seven races renamed the ‘In Honour Of Dean Holland’ with jockeys to wear black armbands throughout the meeting in recognition of their colleague and friend.

Three races from Tuesday’s Flemington meeting have been rescheduled.

The William Newton VC Handicap (2000m), an important lead-up to the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington on May 13 will now be run at Pakenham on Thursday night.

The race will be the first of nine races on Tuesday’s card.

The two ‘Black Type’ races from the Flemington meeting will now be part of a 10-race card at Sandown on Saturday.

The Listed VRC St Leger will extend out from 2800m to 3000m while the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) remains unchanged from Tuesday’s distance.

The fields and barriers for both races remain as published with scratchings reinstated.

Those two races will join the Listed Anniversary Vase (1400m) on Saturday’s program while the $80,000 benchmark 70 Handicap (1300m) has been transferred to Geelong on Friday to allow for the 10-race card at Sandown.

RV’s Racing Operations team has reviewed the broader program and determined that there are sufficient alternative racing options for other horses affected by the abandonment of the remaining races at Donald on Monday and the meetings at Flemington and Moe over the next fortnight.