After more than 100 years, permanent fences in the open country at Warrnambool have been removed in preparation for the inaugural $300,000 Jericho Cup in November 2018.
The nine fences, including the Tozer Road double, will be replaced by wheel-in fences for the 2018 Grand Annual Steeplechase.
Warrnambool Racing Club CEO Peter Downs said the permanent fences had to be removed for the Jericho Cup, to be run on the flat over 4600 metres.
“We’re going to have a 2000-metre flat trial through the paddocks on December 4,” Downs said.
“The stewards want to tick it off as we’ve laid new turf in the areas where the old fences used to be.”
Four-time winning Grand Annual-winning jockey Brett Scott said it was a shame to hear the original fences were to be replaced.
“I suppose it’s a sign of the times,” Scott said. “The old fences were a bit worn anyway.
“I just hope the Jericho Cup becomes a feature on the racing calendar going forward.”
Scott added that the Tozer Road fences were always slightly smaller than the other paddock fences.
“I hope they take that into account when the new fences are made as the horses come down the hill pretty quickly.”
Scott won the Grand Annual Steeplechase on Foxboy, The Sundance Kid, Frankoo Verymuch and Real Tonic. He hopes to have a runner in the inaugural Jericho Cup.
Tears remembered
It’s coming up to 10 years since the Ciaron Maher-trained $101 shot Tears I Cry won the $1 million Emirates Stakes with Nikita Beriman in the saddle on the final day of the Flemington spring carnival.
The reaction in the stands of his owner, Orford dairy farmer Anne McGrath, made for some memorable vision on the Seven Network, and last week reporter Neil Keaney visited McGrath and her family at Orford to reminisce.
Last Friday McGrath was aboard Tears I Cry (now 15) in her role as clerk of the course at Warrnambool alongside her dad, Leo Dwyer, senior clerk of the course at the ’Bool for 57 years.
The story will air as part of Seven’s coverage on Saturday November 11, final day of this year’s carnival.
This Saturday, Seven will air a feature on Warrnambool/Caulfield trainer Aaron Purcell and his family.
Purcell, who has taken over Maher’s Caulfield stable while his friend and fellow Warrnambool boy is suspended, trained his first Group 1 winner when Aloisia won the Thousand Guineas on October 14.
Mitch relishing move
Young trainer Mitch Freedman is hoping his new on-course stabling complex at Ballarat will be operational on Monday.
Freedman, one of the up-and-coming stars of Victoria’s training ranks, has placed his property at Crossley on the market.
“(Wife) Jenna and I are looking forward to the move to Ballarat,” he said. “We’ve got 35 boxes in our new on-course stables and the majority of them will be full within weeks as we’ve got young horses to bring into work.
“It’s sad on one hand that we’re moving from Crossley. We loved our time there but the move to Ballarat means less travelling time for our staff and us to race meetings around the state.”