VICTORIA'S 2010 jumps racing season begins this weekend with four races to be held over the two-day Hamilton Cup Carnival in the state’s south west.

The races are the first of 63 to be conducted across seven specialist jumps tracks – Betfair Park (Sandown), Warrnambool, Coleraine, Casterton, Moe, Pakenham and Hamilton – between now and the end of August.

The $12,000 Hamilton Spectator Maiden Steeplechase (3200m) and $12,000 Walkers Earthworks Maiden Hurdle (3200m) herald the season’s start on Saturday and have attracted fields of five and six respectively.

Sunday’s bumper 10-race Cup meeting features the $25,000 Eulong Open Steeplechase (3200m) with eight runners engaged and the $15,000 Lanyons Open Hurdle (3200m) which boasts six runners.

Trainers Patrick Payne and Eric Musgrove each have three horses entered across the four races which will be the first contested over the sport’s new obstacle.

The obstacle, which has been developed in a bid to improve safety for riders and horses, has won praise from participants following its debut in trials at Stony Creek on 8 April and Warrnambool on 13 April.

“The new obstacle has been designed after extensive consultation with the Australian Jumps Racing Association and jumps racing participants,” Racing Victoria Limited Chief Executive, Rob Hines, said.

“A collapsible jump will replace the previously used steel “A” frame design and it will also feature
thicker pads on the front for extra cushioning when horses strike the jump.

“We have also imported a new thicker and more rigid brush from France which is brown, rather than the current yellow brush, a style of brush widely used in jumps races in Europe.”

New jumpers must successfully complete two trials over the new obstacles before being permitted to race in 2010. Horses that have competed in jumps races prior to this season need only complete one successful trial.

Whilst 25 horses have accepted at Hamilton, the Jumps Review Panel has already approved 48
horses to race in 2010 following the conduct of the Stony Creek and Warrnambool trials.

Trials will next be held over the new obstacles at Cranbourne on 23 April and Warrnambool on 27 April thus allowing more horses the opportunity to qualify ahead of the Tabcorp Warrnambool May Racing Carnival on 4-6 May.

RACING VICTORIA MEDIA RELEASE

Media Contact: Shaun Kelly – HRV Communications Manager M: 0417 145 796 P: (03) 9258 4252 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.