Workouts jockeys happy about condition of Wingatui track

The Wingatui racecourse has been given a big tick of approval by jockeys as Tuesday's Melbourne Cup day meeting approaches.

The racing surface drew excellent reviews from riders after jumpouts were held on the course yesterday, track manager Wayne Stevens said.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and the Otago Racing Club are awaiting the outcome of a formal review of the track after a meeting was abandoned there last week.

Wednesday's programme was abandoned after stewards declared the track was declared too dangerous for racing.

Drizzly rain, which fell before and during the meeting, caused the racing surface to become slippery, an official Racing Integrity Unit report stated.

In the only race able to be staged at the meeting, Sir Ed, ridden by Corey Campbell, was seen to slip leaving the home straight, which prompted stewards to inspect the area.

''After the incident the inspection revealed that the horses were knocking the grass off the surface, revealing a hard pan underneath in the area where the incident happened,'' the report said.

Riders reported their mounts ''had moved in the ground''.

An independent turf expert has inspected the track and will deliver a report on its condition and its impact on the meeting being abandoned in the coming weeks, an NZTR spokesman said.

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