Grafton races on Wednesday is looking like another casualty of the big wet

The Grafton midweek meeting could be the latest casualty of the big wet which is wreaking havoc with NSW race programming.

Clarence River Jockey Club chief executive Michael Beattie is hopeful of a break in the weather to enable Grafton to race on Wednesday.

“For a week we have been just on the periphery of the heavy rain but the forecast was changed (Monday) and we are right in the middle of it now,” Beattie said late on Monday.

“We had 48mls of rain overnight Sunday and another 22mls on Monday. The rain that has fallen on Monday hasn’t helped us and right now it doesn’t look like stopping.

“If we can get a good day (Tuesday) then this track does dry really well but unless we get a break in the wet weather, then realistically we are probably ‘millions and blowing’.”

Grafton is a quick drying track if it can get a break in the weather.Source:News Regional Media

The Grafton track was rated a heavy 10 last night with the forecast for more rain placing the eight-race program in jeopardy.

If Grafton doesn’t go ahead as planned on Wednesday, it will be the second successive day where NSW did not have a thoroughbred race meeting.

The Gosford races scheduled for Tuesday were abandoned after the track was swamped with more than 360mls of rain in recent days.

Racing NSW stewards did look at options to transfer the meeting but all tracks in the region have received similar rainfall and are unsuitable for racing.

Warwick Farm was due to race on Wednesday but that meeting has been transferred to Thursday and shifted to the Kensington track. Hawkesbury races programmed for Thursday has been abandoned.

The wet weather has contributed to the retirement of multiple Group 1 winner Fierce Impact. Photo: Vince Caligiuri/AAP ImageSource:AAP

The wet weather has also brought about the retirement of triple Group 1 winner Fierce Impact who will stand at Victoria’s Leneva Park Stud this spring breeding season.

“He’s been an absolute star for us, it will be sad to see him leave the stable but we are safe in the knowledge he retires perfectly sound and well and that he has a bright future at stud ahead of him,” said trainer Matthew Smith, who prepared Fierce Impact to win the 2019 Toorak Handicap and Cantala Stakes, and 2020 Makybe Diva Stakes.

“It has become clear in the last fortnight that his mind is on other things, which is great for his future as a stallion but not so much a racehorse. The potential for very wet tracks in Sydney during The Championships was another factor because he’s definitely at his best on top of the ground.”

Originally published asBeattie hoping for Break in the Weather

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