Racing: No more time for procrastination about Kensington track decision

The saga of the Kensington track at Randwick, which has played out over a number of years, will finally come to a head when Racing NSW consultants present a report on the track to the ATC committee, which has not scheduled its own track managers to be at the meeting.

There are a number of options, but the most favoured would be to reconstruct the inside track at Randwick. The model of Canterbury should be near the top of the list, as it has stood the test of time.

The Sydney metropolitan tracks are much maligned, with only Rosehill and Canterbury escaping constant criticism. The Kensington has been out of commission since last year, the Randwick course proper is a light of other years, while Warwick Farm is old and tired.

The tracks and training facilities must be the main priority for the ATC after the improvement in customer facilities at Randwick and Rosehill. The stands will not be full unless the stage is fixed.

The Randwick track was rated good on Saturday for the first time this year but ended up slow after rain. It was firm but loose on top.

The unpredictable nature of the track was never better illustrated than by Peter Snowden's comments to stewards after That's A Good Idea's win, while Princefamous dropped out, failing to handle the track, according to jockey Sam Clipperton.

"That's A Good Idea hates wet tracks but just won with 62 [kilograms] and the other bloke didn't handle it. I don't know what to make of it [the track]," Snowden said.

Trainer's conviction quashed

Warwick Farm trainer Gary Portelli has a clean record again after Racing NSW stewards moved swiftly to clean up the ibuprofen mess, quashing his conviction and penalty after a horse swabbed positive to the anti-inflammatory in late 2014.

"I have been training for more than 20 years and it is something that I was very proud of, having a clean record, so I'm very happy that the stewards were able to overturn that finding because I had nothing to do with [the positive swab]," Portelli said.

Racing NSW refunded his $3000 fine last week in light of other trainers going without a charge after having had horses return elevated levels of the drug following stints at Lee Evison's rehabilitation facility in Victoria.

Byrne cops 'biggest spray'

John Thompson was left fuming after the Doomben 10,000 at the ride from Jim Byrne on Hooked and can only hope it has not ruined his preparation.

"Months of planning went up in smoke in 40 seconds, I still don't know what he was doing," Thompson said. "It was the biggest spray I have ever given a jockey. That sort of hard run can have a long-term effect."

The first 750m of the Doomben 10,000 was covered in 42.21 – remember, that is from a standing start – as Zac Purton charged off on favourite Fell Swoop to the outside of leader Two Blue, with Hooked to their outside.

"He told me [Hooked] was doing it easy. I have no idea what he was thinking," Thompson said.

Hooked will have another jockey on in the Stradbroke.

Silky skills on display

The horror falls at Taree and Mildura on Monday reminded everyone of the dangers of race riding but there were a couple of displays of horsemanship on the weekend that show how skilful our jockeys are.

Blake Shinn doesn't want a career as a jumps jockey but he was the very definition of poised as Reneged leaped at a shadow at the winning post at the Sunshine Coast on Friday, while Shaun Guymer turned in another great piece of horsemanship in the last at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

Guymer lost his irons, when his mount Hyernicus blundered and almost fell at 900m. He rode straight-backed until the 200m when he regained his irons and charged home to be just out of the placings, which didn't help punters who had been looking to land a long-priced plunge.

Shinn was relaxed when Reneged, which will head to the Queensland Guineas next, was cruising to an easy win before he took off.

"It isn't something you want to happen, all I could do was hold on," Shinn said.