Magazine - Terry Watson is confident

By Editor in Racing / Equestrian on 2nd Nov 2007 18:05

Flemington track manager Terry Watson is confident the surface will stand up to a stern four-day test.
Watson emphasised it was still early days for the relaid track and everyone was still learning about it.
The new Flemington has had mixed reactions after its two meetings.

The first meeting, on September 8, favoured on-pacers and horses drawn near the fence.
The second meeting, on October 6, was dominated by horses that ran home out wide. Several high-profile horses ran below expectations and trainers were critical of the surface.
Watson said he did not know why the track had played as it had on those two days.
"I can't precisely say what happened. I don't know. Jockeys have been riding the old track the same way for 140 years and possibly they have to adjust their tactics," Watson said.
"Any jockey or professional punter who walked the track the day before the last meeting said the track was very even and there wouldn't be any bias.
"Going into this meeting, it is the same. Everybody who has walked on it says it is a very even surface."

Watson's only explanation for the results in the track's first two meetings centred on jockeys, not the track.
"With a new track you would expect jockeys to be having a good look at it," he said.
"You wouldn't expect them to be charging around the field and that may have happened on the first day.
"At the next meeting the jockeys got a bit more confidence in the track and realised they can take off before the turn out wide and use the camber.
"I think they finally realised they were riding on a new track.
"When they started to come out wide, then everybody wanted to head out there.

"As people get a better understanding of it, they will ride differently. People will eventually realise it's not the old Flemington, it's a new track."
Watson said the new track had been designed so there wouldn't be any bias.
"The drains are placed in a herringbone pattern evenly and diagonally all around the track," he said.
Watson said the new soil had been laboratory-tested so it would be even throughout.
"Ideally we could have had a summer behind us to consolidate the kikuyu grass but it couldn't be laid until April," he said.

"It will be much better with a summer behind it.
"This is going to be a first-class, fantastic track. New tracks require time. You can't accelerate time."

Source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun

Read more articles in Racing / Equestrian, by Editor or from November 2007.