Rockhampton track drama spark calls for racing reform

To say that the postponement of Queensland richest regional race, the $1 million Archer at Rockhampton on Sunday, was a disappointment would be an understatement.

Reports and social media posts have called it many other things, the bulk of which have been uncomplimentary in both content and tone, but with most people still recognising the positive efforts of the Central Queensland Amateur Racing Club (CQARC), who effectively hire the track from the Rockhampton Turf Club for the day, sympathising with their plight and also the inconvenience suffered by all of the racing participants involved for a mess which is not of their own making.

Several inconsistencies with regard to the racing surface … reportedly caused by an irrigation malfunction … was the reason for the decision to postpone the meeting and they were fairly extreme inconsistencies as described by Chief Steward Josh Adama who stated, “The track as a whole is in good order. It’s a Good 4, but those three patches – the one at the 80m is the one with the major concern. It’s close to a Heavy 8 that patch. It isn’t a small patch, it goes to about five metres off the fence as well, so there’s no way for our riders or horses to avoid it.

Given those unhappy circumstances with its highlighted safety concerns, there is no doubt that stewards made the correct decision.

How we got to that point will be the focus of a full investigation, as promised by the Racing Minister Tim Mander, who was at the track for Sunday’s scheduled reginal showpiece … and that investigation has to be multi-layered to serve a purpose, given that this is the second time a faulty sprinkler system has led to a postponement of a feature race meeting at Rockhampton in recent weeks.

What went wrong specifically? Who could have done better? What needs to be done to remedy the situation if the irrigation system is old and in disrepair? Are the right people in place to maintain the necessary standards? And so on, and so on.

Answers to questions sometimes lead to more, deeper questions and if that is the route this investigation goes so be it. This is not a minor matter so, apart from a firmly focussed investigation, the speed at which a solution is delivered is as important a part of the undertaking as anything else.

For the moment, for the sake of argument, let’s just leave all of that to the investigators, although it would be nice to know who the investigators will be and the timeframe set for their task.

There is however an overriding point that needs to be addressed … and it relates to something that has happened throughout the country on various occasions and that happened at Rockhampton on Sunday.

How can a race meeting be abandoned or postponed just before the first race is due to take place on the basis of pre-existing track condition?

A procedure has to be set in stone that will prevent this from happening.

That is just a simple courtesy to the racing participants … the ones who put on the show … who are so invested financially and emotionally in the game. Race-clubs, racegoers are also due a fair show of respect.

If stewards travel to meetings and only arrive mid-morning on race-day, some local racing official or officials … somebody reliable … has to be charged with the responsibility to not only come up with a correct track rating (which has often been a point of contention), but to assess the FULL surface of the racetrack to determine its suitability for racing at as early a stage as possible.

Stopping a meeting in its tracks just before kick-off is not on!

With Sunday’s Archer postponed meeting now rescheduled for Tuesday, hopefully that is happening right now.

The Archer race-day just won’t be the same as it would have been on Sunday, but hopefully it goes ahead without any further mishap.

That $1 million big race purse is still up for grabs.