Alice Springs Cup Carnival to continue on Monday

[Wandering Eyes]

Extensive repairs to the dirt surface at Pioneer Park took place on Sunday as the Alice Springs Turf Club prepares for its re-scheduled meeting on Monday after Day 2 of the 2023 Cup Carnival on Saturday was called off following heavy rain due to former tropical Cyclone Ilsa. Picture: Mark Summers

Thankfully, the weather has cleared and Day 2 of the Alice Springs Turf Club’s Cup Carnival will take place at Pioneer Park on Monday.

The meeting was set down for Saturday, but was called off around 10.30am due to the condition of the dirt surface because of rain with up to 40mm recorded as a consequence of former tropical Cyclone Ilsa that passed through the Red Centre.

The rain arrived overnight during the early hours on Saturday thus throwing a spanner in the works as the race meeting was also Ladies Day.

“It’s a novel one for Alice Springs that we got washed out yesterday,” ASTC general manager Mark Summers said.

“We rolled the track at 8am yesterday when chief steward David Westover and I were both here.

“It was perfect for racing then it just kept on raining and raining and raining and it just made it too unsafe to get on there.

“The jockeys had a meeting at 10am and by 10.30am the race meeting was off.

“It was disappointing as Friday was a glorious day and the weather today is magnificent.

“Perfect day today for racing, which is the frustrating thing.

“It would have been nice if the rain had just come either 24 hours earlier or 24 hours later.

“We’ve been out there harrowing the track to fluff it up so that we’re not racing on a firm surface.

“That should suit everyone a lot better tomorrow, especially the horses.

Looking forward, Summers was relieved that the seven-event meeting could be re-scheduled for Monday.

The feature races on the program include the $50,000 NT Guineas (1600m), the $30,000 The Soldier Lightning Handicap (1000m) and $26,300 Ladbrokes Racing Club Handicap (1900m).

There will be further meetings next Saturday and on Friday, April 28 before Alice Springs Cup Day on Sunday, April 30.

Had it not been possible to re-schedule the meeting in would have thrown the Cup Carnival program into chaos, especially for aspirants who have been aimed for the $110,000 Alice Springs Cup (2000m) and $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) in a fortnight.

“It’s pleasing for the trainers because there were lead up races for the Cup and Sprint,” he said.

“More so relief for them that they can run to make sure that their horses are cherry ripe in two weeks time.

“We had a Ladies Day event on Saturday – 160 ladies for the marquee, but because of the weather we had to cancel that.

“That’s obviously a bit of an impost for the club and for the ladies as well – they won’t be out tomorrow celebrating.

“We’re trying to put our heads together to try and do something special for them in the next couple of weeks.”

Darwin-based jockeys were also forced to remain in the Red Centre for an extra two days, while regular ASTC staff when racing is scheduled at Pioneer Park on a Saturday or Sunday are unavailable to work on Monday.

“A lot of our staff, like the barrier staff for example, they’ve all got regular jobs through the week and couldn’t get the day off,” Summers added.

“David Westover and David Hensler, chairman of the Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory stewards panel, were busily working the phones yesterday to get staff down from Darwin to get the race meeting on.

“Andrew O’Toole, the TRNT chief executive officer, was also kept pretty busy back in Darwin.

“It’s quite a big expense to the industry just to be able to fly down replacement staff from Darwin such as barrier attendants.”

With a 5.20pm (ACST) flight from Alice Springs to Darwin on Monday, the race times for the meeting have been brought forward with the first race jumping at 12.34pm and the last scheduled for 3.40pm.

After only a handful of scratchings on Saturday, all of the original 66 acceptors were confirmed starters on Sunday.

Pioneer Park was also re-opened when declared fit for trackwork on Sunday morning.

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