,Forecast deluge puts spanner in the works
Perth Racing track manager Cameron Sutherland has prepared for the “worst”, with a burst of wet weather tipped to hit the city ahead of today’s Del Basso Smallgoods Roma Cup meeting at Belmont Park.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast possible thunderstorms, heavy falls of up to 35mm and winds in the vicinity of 50km/h, ensuring the first rain-affected surface at Belmont this season.
Sutherland yesterday had the track rated as a good 3.
“The track can handle a fair bit of rain,” Sutherland said.
“We have prepared for the worst scenario and have punched holes to get the water through the profile as fast as possible.
“Everything is hypothetical at this stage because we don’t know how much rain we will get.”
For trainer Darren McAuliffe, the forecast is what he had been dreading given his commitment to start $4 second favourite Fuchsia Bandana.
McAuliffe scratched the Northerly Stakes winner from last Sunday week’s Northam Toyota Stakes (1100m) after she drew wide.
As a result, he is forced to run the four-year-old in today’s weight-for-age Roma Cup (1200m) to keep her on song for the Belmont Sprint (1400m) in a fortnight and the Hyperion Stakes (1600m) on June 13.
“She has got no hope if it rains,” McAuliffe said. “She is an absolute duffer in the wet.
“We have got no choice but to run her otherwise she won’t be fit enough to run in the Belmont Sprint.
“Every time we have exposed her to soft going she has been woeful.”
Luckygray, the easing $3.30 favourite, ran fourth on a heavy 10 at Caulfield in his Victorian debut in 2012 and has the benefit of two trials ahead of his first race in 12 months.
“I normally give my horses 12 weeks, but I wanted a really solid foundation under him and he has had four months,” trainer Trevor Andrews said.
“He had a couple of trials and has come through it really well. I couldn’t have him any better without a run under his belt.”
