KEY POINTS:
You can rely on whatever the penetrometer reading is at Ellerslie this morning.
The Auckland Racing Club recently discovered an anomaly with its penetrometer equipment when it borrowed the Avondale Jockey Club's penetrometer for a comparison reading.
The reason for the controversy over the Ellerslie readings at two recent race meetings quickly became apparent.
When the Ellerslie equipment read 2.2, the supposedly identical Avondale machinery showed 2.5, highlighting the growing suspicion that penetrometers can be used only as a guide to track conditions and not literally.
"I told Jason, our track manager, to put them side by side and the readings were completely different," said ARC chief executive Chris Weaver.
Avondale's penetrometer is only three months old and the Auckland Racing Club has ordered a new one, meant for delivery in January.
"In the meantime we'll be using the Avondale one," said Weaver.
To quell suspicions that the ARC was manipulating the readings to suit itself, stipendiary steward Matthew Williamson has committed to being present at the track to check the readings each race morning and has been there for the last couple of meetings.
With rain forecast last night the penetrometer reading is going to be crucial today for the massive betting explosion that traditionally is Boxing Day at Ellerslie.
The club is desperate to see Auckland dawn a fine morning today.
"We have sold a record number of pre-sales," said Weaver.
"We don't have one more hospitality area we can pre-sell and now it's all up to the walk-up crowd.'
"If we get a decent day we'll exceed what we did last year, which was massive."
