Racing Victoria (RV) can advise that, following the abandonment of races five to nine at Cranbourne yesterday, two additional races have been added to the racing program this week.
A BM70 race will be added at Ballarat on Thursday, 25 October for Victorian country-trained horses only. This will replace yesterday's lost Melbourne Cup Country Series heat and will retain the 1400m distance and $50,000 prizemoney, as originally scheduled.
The first and second horses from this heat will be exempt from the ballot for the series final to be held at Flemington on Kennedy Oaks Day, Thursday, 8 November.
Trainers will be given additional time to nominate for the Ballarat race, with nominations closing at 3pm today, Monday, 22 October.
Following the loss of two Grand Handicap ballot exempt races to date, a BM70 1100m race will also be added to the program at Echuca on Friday, 26 October. Nominations for this race will close at 12 noon tomorrow, Tuesday, 23 October, with the rest of the meeting closing at 12 noon today.
All horses who were scheduled to race in the BM70 1400m and BM70 1000m races at Cranbourne yesterday will be given preference in the ballot for the reprogrammed races.
Further to this, RV has decided not to reprogram yesterday’s Listed 1600m Casey Cup due to the availability of suitable alternative races for affected horses with the $200,000 Sale Cup (1600m), the $200,000 Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) and the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Star (1500m) all taking place this weekend from Friday, 26 October to Sunday, 28 October.
The BM64 1200m and 2060m races will also not be reprogramed given there are opportunities for these horses to race over the next seven days.