Eagle Farm abandoned after track damage

The Group Three George Moore Stakes has been transferred to next week after
Saturday's Eagle Farm meeting had to be abandoned after only two races following
damage to the track.
Stewards called the meeting off after unsuccessful attempts by ground staff to erect
a false rail near the 1000 metre shute to skirt a damaged section of the track.
The damage was caused by large tyre divots as the barriers and movable rail were
dragged into place for the start of the third race, the Promote Me Handicap (1000m).
Horses engaged in that race had to return to the enclosure and were unsaddled when
the damage was discovered.
The official starting time of the race was delayed half an hour as maintenance staff
worked to repair damage and erect a new rail before the meeting was eventually
called off following a further track inspection by stewards and senior jockeys.
Stewards, led by chief stipe Wade Birch, and senior riders Michael Cahill, Corey
Brown, Chris Munce, Jim Byrne and Larry Cassidy earlier inspected the track
following the second race which was run in torrential rain.
The meeting began with a heavy (8) track but was quickly downgraded to a heavy (10)
following the downpour.
The 1200m George Moore Stakes will now be held at Eagle Farm next Saturday while two
races, a class six (1200m) and Three-year-old Handicap (1600m) have been added to
the Doomben meeting on Wednesday.
Birch said the jockeys' delegation raised concerns about track safety which led to
the meeting being abandoned.
"The meeting was a race by race situation from the start," Birch said.
"Moving the false rail created some large ruts and brought water to the surface from
between the 800 and 400 metres.
"We tried to erect a false rail out further to go around the area but given we had
some large fields, jockeys raised some safety concerns."