13 December 2007

AJC suggests swapping Doncaster, Derby Day

By Ray Thomas

THE Australian Jockey Club is considering switching the Derby and Doncaster race dates in a compromise deal designed to resolve the Randwick autumn carnival race programming issues.

The Emirates Doncaster Handicap is scheduled to be one of five Group One races held on May 3, the final day of the AJC carnival, alongside the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, All Aged Stakes, Sydney Cup and Champagne Stakes.

Trainers and owners have criticised the programming, pointing out the Doncaster, Queen Elizabeth and All Aged Stakes attract similar types of racehorses.

But the push to shift the Doncaster back to David Jones AJC Australian Derby Day a week earlier is causing the AJC more problems with the major race sponsors preferring to avoid a clash of Randwick's two premier races.

The alternative plan is to now run the Doncaster on April 26 with the Derby moved to the final day.

AJC chief executive Norman Gillespie was reluctant to discuss the revised autumn carnival programming when asked yesterday.

" We are looking at a number of 'creative' options," Gillespie said cautiously.

" A lot of work still needs to be done on the programming but a decision must be made this week."

Gillespie did admit that race sponsors Emirates and David Jones were reluctant to share top billing on April 26.

" There is a sponsor's element to this," he said.

AJC and Racing NSW officials are holding further talks today in the hope of finally determining the Sydney autumn carnival programming.

It now seems likely the opening day of Sydney Turf Club's Golden Slipper Festival will remain at Canterbury on April 5 even though some of the feature events will require race distance alterations while the Coolmore Classic's field size will be reduced to just 12 starters.

The AJC is caught between a rock and a hard place on the autumn programming issue and the club won't get universal agreement if it does decide to switch the Doncaster and Derby race dates.

By moving the Derby to the final day, the AJC is denying three-year-olds the opportunity of taking on older horses in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Although Intergaze (1997) is the only three-year-old in the last 40 years to win the QE Stakes, horses such as Sunline, Sky Heights and Haradasun have tried without success.

However, it is worth noting the Victoria Derby is run on the same day as the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington every spring, a race meeting that is generally regarded as the nation's best.

The AJC proposal to move the Derby to the final day of the autumn carnival next year gives Randwick a race meeting to rival Victoria Derby Day at Flemington.

The AJC's feature race programming problems have been exacerbated by the equine influenza outbreak which forced Sydney's autumn carnival to be moved back a month.

Gillespie said the AJC wants to use the special circumstances of the 2008 race calendar to determine ways to improve the autumn carnvial.

" The racing industry is steeped in tradition and it is not great at embracing new ideas," he said. "But we must explore all our options and look at anything which rejuvenates the autumn carnival."