Randwick's Kensington course under fire

Saturday 22 November 2014, 5:00pm

Upcoming meetings on Randwick's Kensington track are in doubt with the surface again performing below par on Saturday.

Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy expressed his concerns before the meeting and midway through nothing had happened to change his mind.

There is a meeting scheduled for next Friday and another on December 6.

"It is disappointing but not unexpected," Murrihy said.

"We galloped a couple of horses on it this morning and it is the same as it was then.

"It is not of a standard required for Saturday racing. There is kickback and the horses don't like that.

"The horses put their feet in and it comes apart.

"The grass is not the right sort of grass."

An Australian Turf Club spokesman said the December 6 meeting could be held on the course proper.

As jockeys and trainers alike also expressed their concerns and at the end of the 1800-metre benchmark 80, connections of the winner Resurrect were relieved.

"I was concerned because last time he raced here he didn't handle it at all," trainer Scott Aspery said.

"I would have been confident on the course proper.

"He wasn't travelling early and it was a great ride by Glyn Schofield to get him out wide on the better part."

Resurrect ($7.50) and favourite Paris Match ($3.60) made their runs together from the back of the field with the margin between the pair a short neck."

The StrathAyr track is sown with a type of grass called Village Green which Murrihy said seemed to have been the wrong choice.

The Kensington track was re-opened in late 2013 after a refurbishment prompted by criticism of the old surface.

– AAP

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