Caulfield Racecourse undergoes safety review after track issues

The Melbourne Racing Club has launched a review of Caulfield Racecourse following safety concerns regarding the track surface. On a recent Saturday, officials were forced to move the inside running rail out four metres to the 11-metre position after discovering dangerous, loose turf plugs near the original seven-metre rail.

During inspections, jockeys and commentators observed that standard track-repair plugs had failed to take, with some large clumps of turf being easily lifted by hand. The emergency maintenance occurred just hours before major Group 1 events, including the Underwood Stakes and the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

The track issues arise as Caulfield prepares for high-profile events in the spring carnival, including the $3 million Guineas on October 10 and the $6 million Caulfield Cup the following week. The Melbourne Racing Club stated that the issue involved uneven or loose repair plugs identified during a routine inspection.