Mt Barker Thursday Nov 19th - Review

The Great Southern weather was not kind to the Mt Barker Turf Club, and the meeting was abandonded after 2 races due to safety concerns with the track due to the weather. On the surface the track looked in good knick, but due to a horse slipping badly at the 800m in the first event, and the continual rain that followed, Stewards had no option but to cancel the remaining races, as no guarantee could be made that the ground would hold up safely for a further six races of full fields.


Ironically the same meeting last year with similar weather, lost the last two races due to track concerns in regards to the weather. This would suggest that with the later apparent rains that have been coming to the Great Southern the past few years, that maybe it could be looked at, that Mt Barker commence their racing season in early December, as the track does not have the same absorbtion rate as track like Albany that is more coastal with a different soil content.


It is a great shame the meeting was lost, as most horses in the Great South will almost go upto 4 weeks without a race start, nominations for Narrogin and Esperance coming up could be well boosted.

Secret Courier (P.Hall) Photo courtesy www.grassrootsracingwa.com

On the racing side, promising mare Jeneviv scored a good Maiden victory over Silver Business and Dinglish, with favourite November Red back early and plodding into fourth spot.  The second ,saw Secret Courier prove too good for Titcherman and Tidal Storm who has yet to return to his previous good form. Old timer He's Smokin was not disgraced in finishing 4th (and last), and looked well in need of the run in his first outing for 18 months.