A lack of recent rain has Warrnambool Racing Club track manager Dermott O’Connor facing a challenging and worrying time in the countdown to next weeks three-day carnival.
The track had 56 millimetres of rain in the early part of April but since April 17 O’Connor and his staff have been forced to irrigate the racing surface on a regular basis to have it in the soft 5-6 range for the carnival.
“The track has really dried out over the last fortnight,” O’Connor said. “We’ve had a fair bit of wind and plenty of sun. 
“There’s still a good amount of moisture in the ground but we have to irrigate it. We put on 10 millimetres on Friday, the same on Sunday and we’re looking at doing the same this week. 
“It’s a real balancing act to get the racing surface in the soft 5-6 range for next Tuesday. The weather bureau is saying we’ve got dry weather again this week but they’re thinking it will change come the weekend. 
“The problem we have is sometimes the bad weather goes out to sea or goes inland and we miss it entirely. 
“It’s a challenging time for our staff but we’re doing our best to ensure the racing surface will be right for the jumpers and the flat horses.”
The carnival runs from May 5 to May 7.
Merchant headed north
Maiden performer Finance Merchant earned a crack at the Queensland Derby with his second placing for Warrnambool trainer Aaron Purcell in the $200,000 St Leger at Flemington last Saturday.
The $1 million Queensland Derby will be run at Eagle Farm on Saturday, May 30.
Finance Merchant finished more than three lengths behind Silvasista in the St Leger but Purcell says the Mrchant Navy gelding deserves a crack at the rich Queensland race.
“We’ll just see how he pulls up but if everything’s all right we’ll take him up,” he said. “They’re only three once and when they are you’ve got to have a crack. 
“He’ll have his next start in a maiden on the Gold Coast before having a crack at the derby. He’s a nice type of horse who’s been unlucky not to have won a race or two before this. 
He’s been a slow maturer. Once he puts it all together he should develop into a handy stayer.”
Rain, rain stay away
Local trainer Simon Ryan is hoping for a dry track for imported galloper Post Impressionist in next week’s Warrnambool Cup.
Next Thursday’s $300,000 listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) is the feature flat race of the three-day carnival.
Ryan scratched Post Impressionist from a $130,000 staying race at Flemington last Saturday after an unplaced on a heavy track in the Terang Cup on April 12.
“He’s a bit of duffer on wet tracks,” Ryan said. “He needs dry tracks to show his best. 
“The Warrnambool Cup is the race we’ve targeted this campaign and fingers crossed we get conditions to suit.”
One last crack
Two impressive hurdle trial wins haven’t swayed Warrnambool trainer Patrick Ryan to switch his veteran galloper Ferago to a jumps campaign — yet.
Ferago, who has run fourth in the last two Warrnambool Cups, will have another crack at the flat feature next Thursday, according to Ryan.
“He shows promise over the hurdles but I want to give him another chance at winning a Warrnambool Cup,” he said. 
“The two hurdle trials have improved his fitness. We’ll probably look at having a hurdle start later in the jumps season. 
“He loves wet tracks, which should be a bonus later in the jumps season.”
Back for the ’Bool
Talented jockey Will Gordon will be back to ride at next week’s Warrnambool carnival after copping a nine-meeting suspension at Flemington last Saturday. 
Gordon pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge following his ride on Cripps. His suspension began on Sunday and ends this coming Sunday, May 3. 
Gordon was also fined $300 for a whip infringement.