When Are These Track Managers Going to Prepare Tracks Properly?

Thank goodness we had a bit of rain in Perth last week. The welcome precipitation just took the edge off the Ascot turf for Saturdays meeting. Previously since the start of the Ascot season, horses have been right on top of the ground and getting home a shade quicker than is probably what's good for them. At Sandown on Saturday the track must have been flint hard with horses getting home the lat 600m in the low to mid 32's!

What this means is that instead of getting 40, 50 or more runs out of a horse's career, owners and trainers will be getting 25 or 30 before they break down with leg problems. Now those figures can't be held tight, but you get the idea. Tracks need to have a bit of give in them and when there's no rain to do the job properly, the track managers need to help things along a bit with the sprinklers.

- Peter Morley