Flemington Track Not Too Bad: Jockeys
- Saturday, 12 June 2010 05:45
Ben Melham was not perturbed about the state of the Flemington track after he guided the Peter Moody-trained Riptide home a winner in a depleted field on Saturday.
Flemington had it's first heavy track since the reconstruction of the surface in 2007 due to an invasion of cockchafer beetles which have eaten the roots of the grass, leaving the track heavy and shifty.
After rain on Saturday morning, adding to the 31.4mm during the week, Flemington track manager Mick Goodie rated the track a heavy (9) for Saturday's meeting.
"It's heavy but it's not as bad as I first thought it would be. It's just a genuine heavy," Melham said after the second event, the Bruce Gadsden Hcp (1400m).
"She (Riptide) had them sorted a long way out.
"Obviously Peter Moody had her very fit and we were able to control the race from where we were and with the small field they didn't go very quick and we were able to get going when we wanted to.
"It was a good win."
After five scratchings from the race on Saturday morning, topweight Jaggers also came out behind the barrier after veterinary stewards reported that the gelding had hit his head, leaving a field of only four runners.
Michelle Payne, who guided Platinum Passion to come from last and win the Hilton Nicholas Hcp (1400m), came back to scale spattered with sand which was kicked back from runners ahead of her during the event.
"It's quite sandy and they are getting into it a bit, but I'd probably say it's more slow than heavy," she said.
Picture: Fiona Tomlin
