The race meeting set down for Rosehill on Saturday has been pushed back a day due to a forecast for extreme heat in Sydney.
Racing NSW officials have been monitoring expected conditions this week and, with no change in predictions that temperatures in the west will soar beyond 40C on Saturday, chief steward Tom Moxon said the decision had been made to move the program to Sunday.
“We have reviewed that forecast again this morning and unfortunately, there hasn’t been much of a variation to those forecasts,” Moxon told Sydney’s Sky Sports Radio.
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“The decision has been made this morning to transfer the meeting to Sunday, still at Rosehill Gardens where the forecast is for more favourable conditions with temperatures around the mid to high 20s.”
Acceptances for the 10-race card were taken on Wednesday as normal and race times worked around the provincial Sunday meeting.
“We’re mindful we already have a Hawkesbury meeting scheduled for Sunday also, so we will have to organise times for Rosehill around that Hawkesbury meeting,” he said.
High temperatures will also be prevalent in Sydney on Friday, but Moxon says they won’t affect the Randwick Kensington card as it is a twilight fixture and already being held in the cooler part of the day.
A country program at Mudgee is also set down for Friday and conditions there will continue to be monitored.
NSW racing boss Peter V’Landys said the decision to postpone the meet was made with the welfare of horses, jockeys and staff in mind.
But, ahead of the final decision, racing icon Gai Waterhouse was critical of the move and offered an alternative idea.
“Boy oh boy what has gone wrong?” Waterhouse said on social media.
“Are we and our equine leaders so weak that we/they can’t cope in the heat?
“Hello, we live in a ‘sunburnt country’ ☀️. Start the races at 9.30-10am so that they’re over before the heat of the day. Offer free entry and invite families 🐎 🧑🧑🧒🧒.”
– With 7NEWS.com.au