More than 40mm of rain had fallen in Oamaru in the 18 hours prior to 6pm last night and the heavy rain left a large pool of water at the bend coming into the home straight on Oamaru's 1200m all-weather track.
Track staff had a pump running from 7am in an attempt to clear the surface water, although they were fighting the high tide which peaked just before 9am yesterday.
Stipendiary steward Shane Renault said an inspection two hours before the first race - scheduled to run at 11.37am - prompted stewards and club officials to call in extra help, especially following similar issues at the club's meeting on May 19.
''What happened at the last meeting was the water was tidal. It was out two cart-widths and came back in [towards the marker pegs] before the first,'' Renault said.
''This time, we knew there was twice as much water and hoped that it would come back in, but we called the fire brigade to pump out as much as they could.''
Stewards asked senior drivers to look at the track, and the affected bend, before they requested a ruling from the Judicial Control Authority whether the meeting should go ahead.
''Everyone in the room was in agreement that we should continue. We monitored throughout the day and asked the drivers after each race if they were still happy.
''All the drivers were aware of it, and they did a good job [avoiding it].
"There was the odd [horse] hanging but we were aware we had smaller fields, which helped us.''
Stewards did consider moving the marker pegs outside the surface water, but the water eventually advanced past where the marker pegs would have been moved to.
Renault said the club would now look at how to deal with the troublesome bend.
''They're going to try and do something about it, because it's two meetings in a row now we've had issues.''
Stipendiary steward Mark Davidson will make an inspection of the galloping track today to establish whether the Oamaru Jockey Club's meeting on Thursday will go ahead.
Jag's Invasion holds on
Two horses who avoided the water despite a torrid battle over the last 400m were Jag's Invasion and The Fiery Ginga in the feature 2600m trot.
The pair clashed at the Oamaru trials on June 8, with The Fiery Ginga holding off a late bid from Jag's Invasion, but the positions were reversed yesterday as Matthew Williamson guided Jag's Invasion home.
The owners of Jag's Invasion - Jan Holms, of Waimahaka, and Dunedin-based Keith Johnston, Heather Dunckley, Robin Smith and Craig and Raewyn Ross - have had to be patient after a bone chip was discovered following the 5yr-old's 10th behind Master Lavros at Addington in November.
Kurow Cup next
The Kurow Cup beckons for Better To Be Bad after her last-gasp win at Oamaru yesterday.
The 5yr-old mare downed Tyron's Falcon Ella in the last pacing stride in the tight-class pace, after finishing sixth at Forbury Park on Thursday night.
Her trainer, Steve Ashton, of Portobello, said he would give Better To Be Bad - now the winner of nine races from 34 starts - an easy time over the next month before aiming the mare at the feature pace at the Kurow Trotting Club's meeting in early August.
