Grace calls Eagle Farm meeting

Queensland’s Racing Minister Grace Grace has called a meeting to review a report into the closure of Eagle Farm racecourse.

Eagle Farm has not raced since May 27 and Grace instigated an independent report from former Victoria Race Club chief executive Dale Monteith.

The track was closed after repeated complaints about its racing surface.

The report was sent to Racing Queensland last week and then passed on to Ms Grace on Friday.

Ms Grace has been on the Gold Coast this week for community cabinet but convened the meeting for Thursday.

Brisbane Race Club boss Neville Bell and the club’s chief executive David Whimpey will be joined by RQ chief executive Eliot Forbes at the meeting.

Monteith will also be there to help explain his finding.

A spokesman for Grace said the minister was keen to get on with implementing the report as soon as possible.

“But first she has to discuss it with all parties and then look forward,” he said.

The spokesman said he could not say when the report would be made public.

“But we realise the interest from the racing world and we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves by putting exact time on it,” he said.

The spokesman said a preliminary statement would be released as soon as possible.

Bell said he could make no comment at the present time.