The track for the Caulfield Cup is expected to be rain-affected, but to what extent, time will tell
Caulfield track manager Tim Bailey hopes the predicted rain does not start falling during the Thousand Guineas meeting on Wednesday.
Between 45mm and 70mm of rain is forecast from late Wednesday into Thursday and Bailey is hoping it begins as late as possible.
Bailey applied 8mm of water to the Caulfield track on Monday and after a mow on Tuesday was expecting to apply another 4mm to keep the track in the Good 4 range to open Wednesday’s meeting at Caulfield.
But Bailey is mindful of the rain which if it starts after Wednesday’s meeting will not have as much of a dramatic effect on the track as it would if it begins during the meeting.
Bailey said under those circumstances water gets into the markings and does not sheet away.
“Thursday is 45 to 70mm of rain,” Bailey said.
“That’s not sounding great and at least Friday is sounding dry, one or two mils, and then Saturday is mainly dry.
“It’s a similar lead-up to last week really. You look at 70 mils, and it sounds extreme, but a lot of that will just sheet off rather than soak into the ground.
“Looking at the long-term forecast through until Saturday, I think we will be of a genuine soft track. I don’t think we’ll be on a heavy if that forecast is correct and we get 24 hours of no rain.”
Caulfield had almost 40mm of rain prior to the Caulfield Guineas meeting last Saturday with 17mm on Friday and after starting as a Soft 6 was upgraded to a Soft 5 during the day.
Wednesday’s rail placement remains in the true position while Bailey said the rail would be moved out to the 6m mark for Saturday’s Caulfield Cup program.
