The Eagle Farm track had a bit to overcome on Saturday, not least some negative, pre-conceived notions of how the racing surface might play on the day.
Those concerns were revisited after the Derby Day meeting by a well-known racing pundit who, speaking on Sky Thoroughbred Central, spelt out in very forthright terms the sense of foreboding he had going to Eagle Farm.
“I was at Eagle Farm for the first time in a long time … and I’m looking to pull holes in the track like everyone else was … and I could not really find an issue,” the pundit said on Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“I know it doesn’t look any good when you look at the track … but, I must say, it wasn’t hard and fast and breaking records … and if that’s the track they are going to throw up for the rest of the carnival … I think, I’m pretty happy about it.”
Although he did seek a second opinion.
“Just talking to a few jockeys … no one wanted to put their hand up and say, ‘that’s awful,’” said the pundit.
‘It’s pretty good. They’ve done a good job with it,” was his conclusion.
Talk about a back-handed compliment!
In fairness though, you can’t really knock the pundit as, given the troubled history of the Eagle Farm track over recent years, he would not have been alone in being apprehensive going into last Saturday’s meeting … and justifiably so.
Of course, Derby Day is followed by three more major meetings at Eagle Farm over the next four weeks where the expected big fields and probable rail movement will further test the fairness of the track but, for now at least … and this you can take it straight from the pundit’s mouth … it appears that the Eagle Farm of last Saturday deserves a pass mark.
It should be noted though that no jockey has yet to publically pass their judgement on the track at this time … one way or the other. One race meeting back, anyway, is too small a point of reference for a true assessment.
And so it is that the track will undoubtedly remain a point of focus moving forward and, if it falters at any stage, the critics will go in boots and all.
There is a time and place for everything … but let’s just takes a breath for a moment and instead focus on the actual racing action while the track is seemingly, currently not the overriding issue.
Derby Day was a very good race-day with the close, highly competitive nature of the majority of the race finishes on the day indicating that most horses had their chance with the rail in the true position.
With the rail moving out a couple of metres this Saturday it could well change the racing pattern on Oaks Day and therefore the verdict on the track is likely to remain a moving part over the remainder of the carnival.
For all of that though, it is on to the Oaks this Saturday and then on to the Stradbroke as primetime racing in Queensland edges towards its marquee event which is just two weeks away.
Top stables … top jockeys … and a hot spot of higher level of thoroughbred competition than we generally see in Queensland at other times of the year.
There is plenty to look forward to.
