Racing WA have confirmed that the meeting at Ascot tomorrow, which was to have featured the WA Oaks and the Melvista Stakes, will not go ahead due to deteriorating weather conditions and an unfavourable forecast for the metropolitan area.
A media release from Racing WA states the meeting has now been transferred to Wednesday.
It further explained the decision with the following details.
“Ascot has received 27mm of rain since 9am this morning (Friday), with the Bureau of Meteorology advising rain will continue overnight and up to a further 35mm is forecast tomorrow morning as the remnants of Cyclone Narelle pass by Perth.”
“While the current condition of the Ascot track may allow the meeting to proceed at present, the forecast for the metropolitan area is not in our favour,” said David Hunter, Racing WA Chief Racing Officer.
“We have transferred the meeting to Wednesday, following consultation with Perth Racing, to provide certainty as early as possible for the industry.”
Race fields will remain unchanged, with race times for Wednesday’s Ascot meeting to be published as soon as available.
The weather conditions have also forced further reshuffling of the WA racing schedule.
The Belmont Park meeting originally set for Wednesday will now be run on Thursday, while the Narrogin Cup meeting scheduled for Saturday has, at this stage, been postponed to Sunday. Meanwhile, Sunday’s Geraldton meeting has been abandoned due to the expected impact of Cyclone Narelle in the Mid-West region.
