By Craig Kerry
Tancred Stakes day at Rosehill, featuring two group 1 races, has been moved to Tuesday after it was washed out on Saturday morning.
Racing NSW stewards announced just before 8.30am that following overnight rain, and with up to 50mm forecast for the remainder of the day, the meeting had been postponed due to the condition of the track.
Racing has been called off at Rosehill, where Marhoona took out the Golden Slipper last Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
Officials said at 6.55am that the surface was rated a soft 7 and a further inspection would be held at 9am. However, further heavy rain prompted an earlier decision. The Rosehill area had more than 25mm overnight and into the early morning.
Officials announced the meeting, featuring the $1.5 million weight-for-age Tancred Stakes (2400m) and $750,000 Vinery Stud Stakes for three-year-old fillies, would be held on Tuesday.
Australian Turf Club head of racing and wagering Nevesh Ramdhani earlier said: “With what we’ve had and what’s forecast, there’s no certainty we could have got through the program.
“We are ringing around to just get trainers’ views on it, and it won’t be long until we have a contingency plan in place.
“They are saying the rain is only today, and it will ease tonight, but whether tomorrow is going to be ideal … it’s probably still going to be a genuine heavy.”
Racing NSW said all race fields would be unchanged for Tuesday’s meeting, with scratchings to be reinstated. Race times for the three other NSW race meetings on the day would be revised.
The group 1 Vinery is a crucial lead in to the Australian Derby and Oaks on the following two weeks of The Championships at Randwick, while the Tancred was a key race ahead of the Sydney Cup and $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
The program also features the group 2 Tulloch, Emancipation and Neville Sellwood Stakes and the group 3 Baillieu, Star Kingdom and Doncaster Prelude.
Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse was critical of the early decision to abandon the meeting.
“What’s gone wrong?,” Waterhouse posted on X. “17mm of rain & racing at Rosehill has been called off. I think anyone from overseas looking in on us would comment on what madness it is. If this was NZ, Europe, UK, Ireland or the US they would all be racing at Rosehill today, yet we’ve abandoned. I dread to think of the costs associated with this!”
Saturday’s Wyong meeting, featuring the final qualifier for the Provincial-Midway Championship final, had already been abandoned, along with a picnic program at Tullibigeal. The Port Macquarie is scheduled to go ahead.
The wildcard qualifier at Wyong was later added to that club’s program on April 3, nine days before the $1 million Provincial-Midway final at Randwick.
Doomben, Ipswich and Gold Coast meetings were among washed out in Queensland on Saturday.
