Racing: Meeting abandoned over jockeys' safety fears

Jockeys' fears about the safety of Pukekohe racetrack have forced today's meeting to be abandoned.

Counties Racing Club took the rare step late yesterday of cancelling the eight-race meeting after jockeys who tested the track became worried about a relaid drainage ditch about 200m from the finish line.

"If a horse had hit it in the wrong place it could have been dangerous so we recommended to the club they abandon the meeting," said stipendiary steward Alan Coles.

That leaves the club facing a loss as well as questions over whether the track will be ready for a glamour meeting, including the Counties Cup, on November 19.

The club will hold an emergency meeting today.

Today's races would have been the first since major works at Pukekohe allowed it replace Takanini as the Auckland region's biggest racing training centre.

The abandonment will cost the TAB nearly $1 million in turnover and leave punters facing a quieter than usual Wednesday in the build-up to their busiest day, next Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.

* Notice of the abandonment came too late for a racing liftout in Sport today, C15-16, to be withdrawn.