Racing Officials On Weather Watch

Wednesday, 23 November 2011 06:16

The wet weather forced the midweek program at Hawkesbury to be abandoned but officials are hopeful of racing at Wyong on Thursday.

The Australian Turf Club meeting scheduled for Hawkesbury on Wednesday was called off on race morning due to the weather and state of the track.

Wyong on the NSW Central Coast has also copped plenty of rain and the track was rated a heavy (9) late on Wednesday.

A track inspection on Thursday morning will decide the meeting's fate but Wyong Race Club chief executive Tony Drew remains optimistic.

"We've had 37 mils up until 9am today (Wednesday) but it is a very good draining track and at this stage we have no thoughts of calling off the meeting," Drew said.

Racing Orange is sweating on the weather clearing up for its meeting on Friday after snaring top Sydney jockeys Nash Rawiller and Hugh Bowman for rare appearances in the bush.

Bowman has seven rides and Rawiller three but with the track rated a heavy (10), Racing Orange's Kyle Manning conceded the nine-race card was in some doubt.

"We really want no more rain if the meeting is to go ahead. It's fingers crossed at this stage," Manning said.

Canterbury is also in the heavy range ahead of Saturday but Australian Turf Club general manager-racecourses, Lindsay Murphy, said the forecast was promising.

"We've received more than 35 mils overnight and it's a genuine heavy (9) but the track is holding up well and there is no squelch," Murphy said.

"The rain is supposed to ease this afternoon and tomorrow so everything's fine at this stage."