Racing Victoria dismisses proposal

A submission to prepare tracks no firmer than a Dead 4 was rejected as part of Racing Victoria's new safety measures for jumps racing.

Racing Victoria agreed on Thursday to implement recommendations from the Australian Jumps Racing Association (AJRA), some of which will be in place for Saturday's Grand National Steeplechase meeting at Flemington.

The following initiatives will be implemented immediately:

-jumps will be placed on the inside rail for all jumps races at Flemington.
-settings of wings for each jump will be monitored to ensure that the gap between the inside rail and inside wings is no greater than 30cm
-sight lines along the take offs will be repainted and extended to 30cm at the bottom of each obstacle

However, there will be no amendment to Racing Victoria's track preparation policy.

"It is deemed impractical and unreasonable, particularly in winter months, to prepare tracks that may be of benefit to horses in jumps races," a statement from Racing Victoria said.

All AJRA recommendations will be factored into the industry's review into jumps racing.

The future of jumps racing has been cast into doubt following a string of recent horse fatalities, including two in last Saturday's Grand National Hurdle which saw just four of 13 starters complete the course.