RACING NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy admitted the Sydney spring carnival will be held on sub-standard surfaces with the ''very wet winter'' taking its toll on all metropolitan tracks, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.It says: Only one meeting has been lost during the winter but the tracks are now in their worst state for many years. At yesterday's Randwick meeting, which left the turf looking like a cow paddock, Murrihy spoke of his fears of more wet weather to come.''There is little doubt that
RACING NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy admitted the Sydney spring carnival will be held on sub-standard surfaces with the ''very wet winter'' taking its toll on all metropolitan tracks, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
It says: Only one meeting has been lost during the winter but the tracks are now in their worst state for many years. At yesterday's Randwick meeting, which left the turf looking like a cow paddock, Murrihy spoke of his fears of more wet weather to come.
''There is little doubt that we will be racing on damaged tracks during the carnival,'' he said. ''It is not unsafe out there today but if there was a rating above [a heavy] 10 we would be using it.''
With $174 million about to be spent on improving comfort for punters, Murrihy raised the option of a synthetic track to take the pressure off Sydney courses during winter.
''It would help deal with racing during the winter but I would only be in favour of it if it was of course proper proportions. It has to be a big track.''
''Shocking'', ''disgraceful'' and ''s---house'' was how jockeys described Randwick yesterday, only three days after San Domenico Stakes day marked the start of spring racing.