For the second consecutive year, Kilmore’s Cup meeting has faced abandonment, as a section of the track around the home bend was deemed unsafe for racing by jockeys on Sunday.
Concerns were raised by several riders, notably during the third event when Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s So Distinguished appeared to lose its footing in that specific area. Jockey Jamie Mott promptly withdrew the horse from the race, joining fellow jockeys in inspecting the problematic section of the turf alongside stewards.
In an effort to address the safety issue, stewards decided to move the rail out by a meter from the 500 to the 350-meter mark. Following the adjustments, a subsequent inspection was carried out, but a unanimous agreement among riders proved elusive. Subsequently, a vote was conducted in the stewards’ room, resulting in the majority favoring the decision to abandon the meeting. The official abandonment time was recorded at 3:30.
While a determination regarding the rescheduling of the Cup is pending, the club’s course upgrades, preventing it from hosting meetings in the first half of 2024, may pose challenges in finding an alternative spot on the racing calendar. It is noteworthy that Kilmore also faced a similar fate last year when the Cup meeting had to be canceled due to inclement weather conditions.
