Gowran Park© Photo Healy Racing
Racing at Gowran Park, due to get underway at 1.35 pm, has been abandoned due to lightning and heavy rain. The track was hit by heavy rain, thunder and lightning over the couple of hours preceding racing. Conditions had relented for a while, allowing runners to head to the start for the opening race, when further lightning occurred, leading to the runners and riders being recalled to the parade ring.
A decision was made at 2pm,with no improvement in weather conditions, to abandon the meeting.
The clerk of the course, Paddy Graffin, explained the Stewards' decision.
"We just don't take chances with life and limb. There was a safety issue with lightning, and the whole thing was to do with lightning.
"It looked like it was set to clear so that's why we sent them out for the first. We consulted with the riders and they all appeared happy we were going to proceed without stalls. There was a consideration for that but there was so much of it (lightning).
"We considered Gowran Park has a beautiful parade ring with all the things you shouldn't have for lightning - trees. The lads leading the horses, there is concern for them as well.
"As a horse man I wouldn't ask anyone to do something I wouldn't do myself.
"The camera crew were reluctant to go up on the hoist so we could have a had a tape start but no pictures. It was just not conducive to any racing and the decision was made totally in the interests of safety."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
