With frocked-up spectators arriving and jockeys ready to mount their horses, disappointment rippled through the Warren racecourse as this week’s race meeting was called off just 40 minutes before the first race was set to begin on Monday 12 July. 

Stones found in the track fill were cited as the reason for cancellation - with potential injuries for both horses and jockeys - but the incident left everyone involved frustrated and with questions.

Why were the stones there in the first place, and why weren’t they discovered in checks of the course in the lead-up to raceday?

According to Racing NSW Stewards, the stones were used in the fill following the previous race meeting.

“After the club attempted to remove the stones the stewards and riders weren’t satisfied that the course was suitable for racing and as such the meeting has been postponed,” Racing NSW Stewards reported over social media. 

Postponed to the Gilgandra racecourse two days later, for some trainers and jockeys it meant travelling seven hours to race elsewhere the next day, before returning to the region once more. 

While Jockey Clubs usually have the capacity to hire a ‘curator’ to maintain their grounds, Warren Shire Council manages the maintenance of the racetrack and extended equestrian centre. 

For the local jockey club, who organise the race meetings, this means they can’t manage their own track and have limited control over its condition. 

Adding to the complexity of the situation, brutal understaffing means that between all racecourses in the Central West and Western Plains, there is only one steward to cover the area. 

This means that many local venues can’t cancel a meet until the arrival of someone who may be travelling from 600 kilometres away to conduct the track inspection. 

Ironically, the postponement comes just after a year since the NSW Budget included $67 million towards regional racetracks, delivering improved facilities for racegoers. 

The $67 million was to be split across Racing NSW venues in regional NSW. 

Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson said that racing is crucial to boosting regional towns. 

“Thoroughbred racing is the lifeblood of many country towns, accounting for around 17,700 jobs in the regions and contributes $1.9 billion to the state’s economy. This investment…will ensure those numbers keep growing with more money coming into our towns,” Mr Anderson said at the time. 

To the best knowledge of the Western Plains App, few RacingNSW venues within the Western Plains have received that funding. 

Gilgandra hosted the postponed race on 13 July however that event saw 17 horse scratchings, a result of horses being brought for one track, then made to race on another that has different characteristics not suited to the horses strengths. 

A local source said that this week’s cancellation wasn’t a result of one mistake, but of many factors working against local racing efforts.