Forget the horses. Punters need track manager Liam O’Keeffe to deliver for them, too. And while he does his best, some things are simply beyond his control.
It was the night before Derby Day in 2019 and, while most of Victoria’s racegoers were undoubtedly praying for fine weather, one man was lying awake wishing for rain.
That year, Warning won the Victoria Derby. The gelding was trained by Anthony Freedman and ridden by Damien Oliver, who plans to retire at the end of this season.O’Keeffe has been with the VRC for 10 years, and stressing about the weather is just one part of his job. Certainly, the best parts have to do with the horses. As well as the main track used on race days, the VRC has 10 training tracks inside the course, and 600 horses use them every day.
O’Keeffe says his team has to prepare as best it can for Spring Carnival, despite the curve balls the weather throws up.“We carry out what we call a mini-renovation,” he says. “We mow the grass down the track, hollow tine and core the track, sweep up the course, and oversow on Verti-Drain. Throughout the morning the team may be mowing, watering, moving running rail, repairing the grass with sand and seed, rolling, harrowing, fertilising, mowing and whipper-snipping.
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