Racing Victoria (RV) and the Stony Creek Racing Club (SCRC) have announced that the Stony Creek meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday, 7 January) has been postponed 48 hours to Thursday, 9 January due to poor air quality.
The decision, made in consultation with the RV veterinary department, Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Australian Trainers Association (ATA) and Victorian Jockeys Association (VJA), is in the best interests of horse and participant welfare.
The BOM has this afternoon advised that the poor air quality, which is owing to smoke from the Gippsland fires, is expected to remain tomorrow due to light winds. Local residents have also been advised to stay indoors into tomorrow by local Government authorities.
The forecast indicates that the air quality may improve into Thursday due to an increase in winds, however RV will continue to monitor the conditions over the next 48 hours to determine the meeting’s suitability to proceed later in the week.
Given there remains some uncertainty over whether suitable conditions will prevail in time for Thursday, trainers with horses entered for Stony Creek should consider nominating and/or accepting for other meetings if they wish to be guaranteed a start this week.
Horses who are engaged at Stony Creek may enter as original nominations by 5pm today for the meetings at Geelong (Thursday, 9 January) and Flemington (Saturday, 11 January) and until 10am tomorrow for the meetings at Hamilton, Cranbourne (both Friday, 10 January), Werribee’s Spendthrift Park Australia and Healesville (both Saturday, 11 January).
Acceptances will be taken tomorrow for Geelong and on Wednesday for Flemington, Hamilton and Cranbourne. Acceptances for the Spendthrift Australia Park and Healesville meetings will be taken on Thursday morning.