CONTINUING rain throughout northern Queensland has necessitated further changes to the racing schedule and race programs. Outlined below is a comprehensive list of these changes.

The Townsville meeting for today (Tuesday, March 29) has been abandoned following consistent ongoing rainfall. To assist stakeholders in the Leichardt and Far North regions, Racing Queensland has taken the decision to program an additional meeting in Townsville on Monday, April 4. Nominations for the new Townsville meeting will close on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 11am and weights will be released by close of business on this day. Acceptances for this meeting will close at 10:00am on Thursday, March 31, 2011, with jockey declarations by 1:00pm on this day.

The new program for the Townsville meeting is listed below:

$12,000 Open Handicap 1200 metres
$12,000 Class 6 Plate 1000 metres
$10,000 Class 3 Handicap 1300 metres
$10,000 Class 3 Handicap 1000 metres
$10,000 Class 1 Handicap 1200 metres
$10,000 Maiden Plate 1300 metres
$10,000 Maiden Handicap 1000 metres
$10,000 2YO Handicap 1200 metres + $10,000 QTIS & QTIS 600

The Townsville meeting will be broadcast on SKY2.

 

Mackay meeting transferred to Rockhampton – Tuesday, April 5, 2011

FOLLOWING a further 200mm of rain during the past four days and the prediction for rain to continue until the weekend, Racing Queensland has taken the decision to transfer the Mackay meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 5, 2011 to Rockhampton.

Although it is unusual to take this decision a week out from a race meeting, Racing Queensland is conscious of the requirement to provide certainty to stakeholders during these trying times. To assist Mackay stakeholders, Racing Queensland will provide a $150 per horse travel rebate for any Mackay trained horses participating at the Townsville meeting on Monday, April 4, or either of the Rockhampton meetings on Tuesday, April 5 or Thursday, April 7, 2011.

Racing Queensland would like to congratulate the Mackay Turf Club for their proactive approach to this issue and their ongoing commitment to ensuring the needs of stakeholders in Mackay are paramount in decision making processes.

Although the majority of races will remain the unchanged, the following alterations have been made to the program:

$10,000 Class 6 Plate 1050 metres – no change

$10,000 Class 5 Handicap 1500 metres – no change

$10,000 Class 4 Handicap 1200 metres – distance changed from 1250 metres

$12,000 Class 2 Handicap 1050 metres – no change

$10,000 Class 1 Handicap 1200 metres – distance changed from 1250 metres

$10,000 Class 1 Handicap 1500 metres – no change

$10,000 Maiden Plate 1200 metres – distance changed from 1250 metres

$10,000 2YO Handicap 1050 metres + $10,000 QTIS & QTIS 600 – no change

Distance change to Rockhampton meeting – Thursday, April 7, 2011

DUE to the abandonment of a vital lead up race, the Class 4 Handicap 2200 metres scheduled for Thursday, April 7, 2011 has been reduced to 1800 metres.

Rockhampton rail positions

Racing Queensland has undertaken a thorough inspection of the course proper in Rockhampton and believes it has fully recovered from the damage caused by the flooding and that it is positioned to sustain two meetings next week.

The rail will be positioned at 8 metres on Tuesday, April 5 and will be moved into the 0.5 metre position for Thursday, April 7 to rotate the wear on the track. There is a two week interval before the next meeting scheduled in Rockhampton on Thursday, April 21, 2011.

 

RACING QUEENSLAND MEDIA RELEASE.

For further information contact the RQL racing department on 07 3869 9777.