Early start for Caulfield race meeting

The Caulfield meeting featuring the Blue Diamond Previews will be brought forward to avoid the anticipated hottest part of the day.

Saturday’s nine-race meeting will begin at 11am (AEDT), two hours earlier than initially planned, with the final race to be run at 3.20pm.

“The Bureau of Meteorology has today advised that a light sea breeze is expected to see temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s for the commencement of the Caulfield meeting before rising to the low-to-mid 30s for the conclusion of the meeting at 3.20pm,” Racing Victoria said.

RV said the decision had been made in the interests of horse and participant welfare with a peak of 39 degrees predicted at 5pm.

RV’s hot weather policy will be in place for the meeting which includes horses being on-course and in the mounting yard for reduced time periods.

A decision on the status of the other two meetings in Victoria on Saturday (Yarra Valley, Yea) and Sunday’s meetings at Geelong and Great Western will be made on Wednesday.

The four meetings on Friday, including the Moonee Valley night meeting featuring the Group Two Australia Stakes, are going ahead as planned.