FROM STUD AND STABLE Orari Course Gives Cause For Concern

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31177, 29 September 1966, Page 4

FROM STUD AND STABLE Orari Course Gives Cause For Concern

The Geraldine Racing Club had two strokes of luck at its cup meeting on Monday—that there was not more than one fall on the programme, and that no-one was seriously hurt.

W. D. Skelton, A. J. Stokes, J. R. Dowling, and B. J. Anderton, four of the senior jockeys riding at the meeting, told the club’s judicial committee and the chairman of the trustees of the racecourse property on Monday that the track in its present shape was not safe to ride on.

Skelton, who spent seven years at Orari—he was apprenticed to L. H. Pratt there—said he thought the track was worse than it had been before a recent programme of work on it.

“If there had been a bit of rain on the grass today goodness knows what would have happened,” Skelton told “The Press.” He added: “I would have been the first to pack my bag and call it a day.” Stokes said: “He (Skelton) could not have packed his bag any faster than I would have done.” Jockeys and other observers could find no evidence that the club had banked the track up 21 inches on the turn, as had been announced not long before the meeting. “If they put 21 inches on the track it must have been only enough to level it,” said one observer. Early Warning It was clear from the first race on Monday’s programme that horses were getting into trouble keeping their footing on the turns. In the Rangitata Stakes W. D. Skelton had a battle to get Dipmate around the bend, and bis mount slipped and rolled out In the second race Carolina nearly fell twice on the home turn, and Super Mahal could only scramble around it. Town Talk fell in the third race, the Woodbury Highweight, after having difficulty in getting around a bend. His rider, K. Quayle, knew he was in an eventful race when, earlier, he saw Corrie Gilpin hit the running rail on the turn into the back

straight, bounce back, and cairy on without losing stride! Carried Wide In the sixth race Pango appeared to lose an almost certain winning chance when carried wide by Te Mania on the home turn. J. A. Messent could hardly be blamed for failing to correct the drift on Te Mania. He felt Te Mania begin to slip on the home turn and he then allowed her to drift out in an endeavour to make the bend safely. This took Pango out wider and also allowed Tarcass, which was down on the inside, to obtain a run through and win. In the President’s Handicap Danny Kaye and Ursinus were squeezed for room on the inside, after about half a furlong. This, it was reported, was caused by the outside runners moving in and also by the bend in the rail at that point. Carried Along in the last race, the Belfield Hack Handicap, Darnburgh would have fallen on the home turn only for being “carried” for a few strides by the horse running on the outside of him. There were other incidents, dozens of them. One lightweight rider who had seven mounts said he was never quite sure in any one of those seven races if he would get around the home turn safely. The risks involved in continued racing on such a track are -obvious.

The Geraldine club stages another programme on October 15, which leaves no time to improve trouble spots on the course. J

What must happen before a course is considered unsafe —a fall producing injuries, or worse?