Inspection for rescheduled Ipswich meeting

Stewards will ask jockeys and trainers to inspect the Ipswich track with them before the rescheduled race meeting at the track.

Jockeys were upset they got the blame for last Wednesday’s Ipswich meeting being abandoned.

A broken sprinkler soaked a part of the track past the winning post on Monday night and stewards inspected the track on Tuesday before deeming it suitable to race.

But the meeting was called off an hour before the first when stewards said jockeys thought the track was unsafe.

Two races were rescheduled for the Sunshine Coast on Sunday and an extra six race meeting was set down for Tuesday.

With possible rain forecast stewards will ask jockeys and trainers to inspect the track with them on Monday and Tuesday.

Queensland Jockeys Association representative Glen Prentice said his members were far from happy about continually being blamed for abandonments.

“Safety is always our members’ major concern but they don’t worry about conditions for nothing,” Prentice said.

“The first time jockeys saw Ipswich was on Wednesday morning and it was obvious the track was unsafe in that section.”

“This isn’t the first time jockeys have been blamed for a meeting being abandoned. It is unfair and ridiculous.”

Trainers supported the jockeys with their concerns and called for a better method of assessing tracks.