Racing officials have defended the decision to switch the last five races at Randwick to the Kensington track on Saturday, saying it was the only way to save the meeting.But Sydney's leading trainer Gai Waterhouse was among those upset when several two-year-olds had to be balloted out of the Coach And Horses Hotel Handicap.There is no 1200-metre chute on the Kensington track and to keep the race at that distance, it was started from a point which could only accommodate a reduced field.David Payn

Racing officials have defended the decision to switch the last five races at Randwick to the Kensington track on Saturday, saying it was the only way to save the meeting.

But Sydney's leading trainer Gai Waterhouse was among those upset when several two-year-olds had to be balloted out of the Coach And Horses Hotel Handicap.

There is no 1200-metre chute on the Kensington track and to keep the race at that distance, it was started from a point which could only accommodate a reduced field.

David Payne scratched Magic Model, who would have retained her place in the field, saying he did not want to run in the conditions on the Kensington track.

The first starters in the race went into a ballot and when the numbers were drawn out of a hat, the Waterhouse-trained Gigas was one to miss a start.

"It's a travesty," Waterhouse said.

However, chief steward Ray Murrihy who inspected the course proper several times with track manager Dave Hodgson, said desperate measures were needed.

"We would not have been able to race on the course proper and would have had to call the meeting off," Murrihy said.

It wasn't all doom and gloom with Hugh Bowman stretching his lead over Corey Brown to eight in the jockeys' premiership with a winning treble.

Bowman began the day with victory in the first race aboard Offhanded in the Bezzina House Handicap (1200m) but he was always near the front of the field.

"The visibility was alright where I was," Bowman said.

Not so for Chris Munce on runner-up Bandar who failed by a short neck to pick up Offhanded after being back on the turn.

"It was lucky the horse knew where he was going because I didn't," Munce said.

Bowman also won the Prostate Cancer Institute Handicap (1200m) on Bejewelled and the Coach And Horses Hotel Handicap (1200m) on Cleanup.

He was outmuscled by Kathy O'Hara in the Allawah Hotel Handicap (1800m) when she urged With Ice to a half-head win over Mr Clangtastic.

Brown's day was a washout but he tried hard for a victory on African Prince when he fired in a protest against Glyn Schofield who rode Flaming Circle to win the NTS Business Handicap (1800m).

Brown told stewards he was inconvenienced by Schofield shifting and was unable to use his whip as he felt necessary.

"I can't win them out there so I thought I'd try and win it in here," he said.

It was to no avail with the objection dismissed.