Racing: Rotorua meeting called off

Rotorua racing folk must feel jinxed after the gallops at Arawa Park yesterday were abandoned after race one.

Jockeys told stipendiary stewards after that race that they had concerns over the footing around the top bend. A track inspection found significant slip marks and a decision was made to abandon the meeting.

Officials said 60mm of rain had fallen in the 48 hours before the meeting, with 43mm of that since 6.30pm on Thursday, leaving the track unsafe.

The track was out of action for all of 2008 and the first five months of last year, firstly so the track could be levelled and bends recambered.

That work was completed late in 2008 but two jockeys were injured when the horses slipped at trials in November that year, so the Christmas meeting was moved to another track.

A meeting programmed for April last year was abandoned after a horse galloping on the track to test the track skidded near the winning post.

Apart from a meeting transferred because of concerns about the state of the steeplechase track in July last year, other meetings have gone ahead since then without problems.

- NZPA