Meetings moved from Sandown Lakeside track

Three upcoming meetings on the troublesome inner track at Sandown have been transferred because of remedial works.

The Melbourne Racing Club’s Lakeside course was due to host meetings on December 7, 14 and 21, but Racing Victoria on Thursday announced the Hillside track will now take the meetings on December 7 and 21.

The MRC’s Mornington track will host the December 14 meeting.

The Sandown inner course has not been raced on since September 7 after a meeting was abandoned after three races.

It followed the cancellation of another meeting in July after one race.

Both Sandown tracks underwent a renovation following the September 7 meeting before racing returned to the Hillside track on November 12.

“The transfer of the three December race meetings from the Lakeside track will allow the Melbourne Racing Club sufficient time to conduct remedial work on it to address recent rider concerns ahead of the next scheduled Lakeside meeting on February 1, 2017,” Racing Victoria’s Paul Bloodworth said.

Races programmed over 1200m have been increased to 1300m and the 2100m races reduced to 1800m on the December 7 and 21 meetings while on December 14 three 1400m races have been increased to 1500m.