Racing on the stone-riddled Geelong ThoroughTrack has been suspended indefinitely pending a possible synthetic resurfacing.Racing Victoria Limited has been investigating potential changes to the synthetic mixture and the depth of the track, and is now looking at bringing the proposed works forward in light of recent events.Stones contaminated the ThoroughTrack after drainage works were completed two weeks ago and caused the abandonment of last week's meeting when jockeys refused to ride for safe
Racing on the stone-riddled Geelong ThoroughTrack has been suspended indefinitely pending a possible synthetic resurfacing.
Racing Victoria Limited has been investigating potential changes to the synthetic mixture and the depth of the track, and is now looking at bringing the proposed works forward in light of recent events.
Stones contaminated the ThoroughTrack after drainage works were completed two weeks ago and caused the abandonment of last week's meeting when jockeys refused to ride for safety reasons.
RVL chief executive Rob Hines said a report regarding the operation and safety of synthetic tracks commissioned by RVL and endorsed by the RVL board last month had included a recommendation to continue racing at Geelong while further investigations were undertaken.
Hines made a public apology to the racing industry after last Thursday's meeting was cancelled.
Race trials designed to determine the safety of the ThoroughTrack were to be held on Friday but these have also been called off.
"With the disruption to racing caused by the recent drainage works and the subsequent problem with stones in the track surface we have decided to take this opportunity to bring forward work we had planned for later in the year," Hines said.
"Some changes to the depth of the track and the mixture of the track are under review at the moment."
The Geelong ThoroughTrack has the same synthetic mix as in Canberra but climate is considered a factor which should determine the mix.
"Although this additional work will cause more meetings to be transferred from the Geelong ThoroughTrack in the short term, it is in the longer-term interests of racing in Victoria that we regain the confidence of our customers and participants in synthetic tracks by taking this action now," Hines said.
Engineers are currently assessing the scope of the work to be undertaken and a date for the resumption of racing at the Geelong ThoroughTrack will be provided before the end of April.
The Geelong Racing Club (GRC) has moved to distance itself from the ThoroughTrack debacle with a letter to its members.
The club has been unable to race since February 28 on the grass track because of the drought conditions and the last ThoroughTrack meeting was on October 7.
While drainage work was carried out on the track last month, Geelong lost its March 20 meeting to Ballarat.
A total of 18 ThoroughTrack meetings were scheduled, mainly every Friday, between April 8 and the end of the season and another 25 are scheduled for next season.
Geelong has lost Friday's meeting to Bendigo.
Other race meetings set down for the Geelong ThoroughTrack on April 24 and May 1 have been reallocated to Pakenham and Ballarat respectively.
While not apportioning blame, Geelong chief executive Paul Carroll told members that the GRC was at all times open and transparent with RVL and there was ample opportunity to transfer last week's meeting if it was deemed unsafe.
"RVL was informed of the presence of the stones in the days leading into the event with two track inspections taking place prior to the race day," Carroll said.
"Members should also be aware that senior management from RVL has stated the club will not be fined and this should be the case as we have followed the appropriate process in relation to this matter."
Carroll said that with the ThoroughTrack now out of action, the GRC would seek approval from Barwon Water to secure additional water to get the grass track back in to "a good raceable condition".