Racing NSW stewards have moved Saturdays Warwick Farm meeting to the Kensington track at Randwick due to temperatures forecast to push 40 degrees in Sydney's west.
Chief steward Marc Van Gestel said the decision was taken with horse and jockey welfare in mind as well as all participants at the meeting.
Heatwave: Saturday's meeting at Warwick Farm has been shifted to Randwick with 40-degree temperatures forecast for Sydney's west.Credit:AAP
“The forecast is for 39 with little or no breeze out at Warwick Farm, while back towards the coast it will be cooler,” Van Gestel said.
“We wanted to be proactive and take the decision before acceptances. We want a safe working environment for everyone and horse welfare is very important in that sort of heat.
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“The forecast is for a stronger breeze at Randwick, which will have significant cooling effect but we will still have our heat protocols in effect.”
The change in track means two 1200m races will be reduced to 1150m, while the 1600m races will drop back to 1550m.
Several Warwick Farm trainers were nonplussed about the move as they had targeted the meeting on their home track for months.
They pointed out that lose all the advantages they had for the meeting and now have to travel with their horses in the heat for more than an hour and race on a completely different surface.
Racing writer for The Sydney Morning Herald
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