Flemington meeting scheduled to go ahead

The Kensington Stakes meeting at Flemington is scheduled to go ahead after racing officials received a positive update regarding the forecast smoke haze and air quality levels in Victoria.

Three race meetings in the state were abandoned earlier this week, Werribee on Tuesday and Yarra Valley and Caulfield on Wednesday, because of smoke haze and a forecast for hazardous air quality as a result of bushfires affecting parts of Victoria and NSW.

Smoke haze had again been predicted for Melbourne on Saturday, putting the Flemington meeting in doubt.

Following the release on Friday of an improved forecast, Racing Victoria officials said the meeting would proceed.

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Saturday’s other Victorian programs at Camperdown and Woolamai have also been given the all-clear.

The Flemington meeting is in a twilight timeslot with the first event scheduled for 3.10pm (AEDT) and the last of the nine races at 8pm.

The feature race is the Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) for which All Too Royal is the current favourite in the field of six.

Like last weekend’s Chester Manifold Stakes day at Flemington, all gate takings from the meeting will be donated to the Bushfire Disaster Appeal.