Racing: Trainer calls Awapuni track 'a disgrace'

Outsider Spare A Fortune handled the heavy track best at Awapuni on Saturday. Photo / NZPA

It's not unknown for horse trainers to use track conditions as an excuse for a beaten performance.

But it's always retrospective.

That gives more weight to Wanganui trainer Evan Rayner's severe criticism of the state of the Awapuni track on Saturday.

Rayner appeared on television in the lead-up to running his well-fancied Beau Dane in Race 9 and said: "This track is a disgrace."

Rayner is a former world champion rodeo rider and his comments at times mirror the toughness that profession requires, but he wasn't alone in his assessment of Awapuni.

"Look, we've all had rain, but it [the footing] shouldn't be that deep."

He then added the ultimate insult.

"It's worse than Trentham."

Rayner's comments should be taken seriously - any racing surface that destroys the form index does racing huge harm.

And it's a long time since we've seen a track that more effectively destroyed form than Awapuni on Saturday.

The deep, holding conditions created a bias that made it virtually impossible to make sweeping late runs at the leaders in the closing stages, generally a feature of Awapuni racing on any type of surface, but particularly in the wet. Horses trying to make their runs a significant distance from the rail in the late stages were sunk.

When punters can't read the form, they give up betting.

And if you think they couldn't read it on Saturday, look at the winners' prices in the races that had more than eight runners: $15.20, $13.90, $16.10, $13.20, $20.80 and $18.90.

Those races formed the Pick6. Despite nearly $380,000 being invested, Pick6 punters were out of business in the second-last leg.

The only upside to that is a jackpotting $750,000 Pick6 on Hastings' big day on Saturday.

Interestingly, Awapuni has had the same sand-slitting drainage work done on it as Te Rapa.

It has taken Te Rapa from one of the country's worse winter surfaces to now the undisputed best.

Neil Treweek and his track management team at Te Rapa have continually stressed that the initial significant cost of sand slitting is no more than 50 per cent of what is needed - that continual maintenance is of equal importance.

It is believed the recommended grade of sand for the installation of the sand slitting was not used at Awapuni.

Rayner is unrepentant over his comments.

"I meant what I said about it being a disgrace and I've had any number of phone calls of congratulations for it."

Rayner says punters were hammered because of the conditions and he had predicted on television that his own horse Beau Dane, who started favourite, would be one of the flops.

The Pick6 favourites: Pescilini second last, 12.4 lengths away, Tackytu fifth (9.9 lengths), Timbuktu third (4.75 lengths), Tudor Bubble 10th (12.6 lengths), Beau Dane sixth (8.6 lengths) and Diana fourth (4.8 lengths).

"Lisa [Allpress] said my bloke felt dreadful in the footing," said Rayner.

Beau Dane, like a lot of shock beaten runners on the day, was ordered by stewards to undergo veterinary checks, including heart rate.

They should have also checked the heart rates of punters who lost their money.