Racing Queensland has confirmed that the Tattersall’s Racing Club meeting at Doomben on Saturday (tomorrow) is off.
The decision has been made following continuous heavy rain over the past 48 hours.
Officials inspected the track — that was already rated a heavy 10 — on Friday morning.
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Following that inspection there was no choice but to abandon the meeting.
“The outcome of a track inspection this morning determined that there is no possibility that the racing surface will recover in time to be raced on,” RQ said in a statement.
RQ is now in the process of considering a “contingency plan” for the meeting and it says “the industry will be advised of outcomes at short notice”.
Soft tracks and abandoned races are becoming a regular theme at Doomben.
And it causes headaches for trainers who can have doubts about running their horses on heavy tracks.
At least for now that decision has been taken out of their hands.
Chris Waller will certainly be one trainer who is disappointed by the news.
He was planning to saddle up Fleur Du Monde ($6.50), Up And Under ($6), Aldeenaary ($4.40 favourite) and Ceremonious ($11) in the Sky Racing Benchmark 78 Handicap over 2200-metres and believed they were all in with a chance.
“A lot of rain in Queensland and some of them handle it better than others,” Waller said ahead of the day being cancelled.
“Fleur Du Monde is going well, she in good form but might be the one who doesn’t quite handle the wet tracks but she will run well.”
The five-year-old mare by New Zealand sire Dundeel was a last start winner at Eagle Farm in benchmark 90 company and with the drop back in grade, she was to carry 59-kilos after the claim for apprentice Cody Collis.
“Up And Under does like the wet and you can see the Sydney form going to Queensland week-in and week-out,” he said of the gelding.
Rob Heathcote will also be disappointed. He was planning to run Abounding in the Listed Tattersall’s Classic regardless of the conditions.
After Abounding was only two lengths off Everest winner Bella Nipotina in the (Group 1) Tatts Tiara, he was excited by the Magic Millions-winning mare’s chances, despite an outside barrier.
“I think this girl is pretty good, her work on Tuesday morning was literally outstanding,” he said before the races were called off.