Racing: Fast work salvages spring carnival features

By MIKE DILLON

Hawkes Bay Racing lost $158,000 on its abandoned meeting on Saturday, but it could have been a lot worse.

Quick thinking by the HBR board and racing manager John McGifford prevented what could have been a continuing disaster for the remaining two days of its million-dollar spring carnival.

Within four hours of the abandonment at 7.10am on Saturday, the running of the $200,000 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes had been re-scheduled for this Saturday at Wanganui.

The stakemoney has been halved to $100,000 and the race retains its group-one status.

More importantly, it will be run, which will prove crucial to the supply of horses for the $120,000 Glenmorgan Stakes (1600m) and 2040m $750,000 Kelt Capital Stakes.

Several horses simply could not have been conditioned to run the increasing distances of the Glenmorgan and Kelt Capital without the 1400m Mudgway.

McGifford said the two racing clubs had come to a financial arrangement which would allow Hawkes Bay Racing to cover its costs on the Mudgway.

Surface water at Hastings caused the abandonment. The easterly storm which settled around Hawkes Bay on Thursday continued to drop torrential rain on Hastings for the next two days.

Chief stipendiary steward Noel McCutcheon inspected the track on Friday afternoon and was happy with the conditions, despite the heavy penetrometer reading.

"When I found Noel on Saturday morning at 7am he had already walked the entire track," said McGifford.

"He said the footing was remarkably good given the amount of rain and that we would have no problems if it stopped raining, but of course, the rain did not stop.

"The drains could not keep pace with the level of water and pools started to develop.

"We did not want to get into a situation where we declared the meeting would go ahead then have to abandon after the first race."

McGifford said Wayne Mudgway of Mudgway Partsworld deserved a huge amount of credit for sustaining his level of sponsorship despite the race being moved to Wanganui.

"Wayne uses the race as an entertainment vehicle for his associates in business, which is a very local affair here in Hawkes Bay.

"He will receive very little back in advertising with the race at Wanganui and his attitude is very commendable."

The connections of talented Rosina Lad are delighted with the re-scheduling.

Rosina Lad had been scratched on Friday because of the heavy track and trainer Dave Haworth had intended an Australian campaign instead of the Glenmorgan and the Kelt Capital.

"That's the best news I've heard - I'll keep the horse in New Zealand now."

Another certain runner on Saturday will be Cent Home, who was not even accepted for in the Mudgway when a rain-affected track appeared inevitable.

Lost, though, will be Hail, whose trainer Bruce Marsh said the dropping back from 1400m to 1340m on the tighter Wanganui circuit did not suit his horse.

"I'm not too worried though, I can run him fresh in the 1600m Glenmorgan if I need to."

Hail is the current fixed-odds favourite at the TAB for the Kelt Capital and Marsh is confident the one run in the Glenmorgan is enough to have the horse ready for the Kelt.

Also missing on Saturday will be Sydney Cup winner Honor Babe, who was always booked to be flown to Australia after the Mudgway for the 1600m Craiglee Stakes in Melbourne on September 6.

Honor Babe will instead now have a 1350m barrier trial at Taupo tomorrow.

"The abandonment hasn't really affected us for the Craiglee," said trainer Katrina Alexander.

"Obviously you would prefer her to have a race, but I'll make sure she has a good hit-out in the trial and I'm confident we can have her ready for the Craiglee preparing her just on the training track."

Part-owner Terry Jarvis and trainer Roger James have yet to decide whether Pure Theatre will run in Saturday's Mudgway or go to either Sydney or Melbourne.

* The TAB will refund all fixed-odds bets on the abandoned Mudgway and issue a new betting chart after nominations are taken.