Warrnambool Racing Club honours stalwart Leo Dwyer

Dwyer, who filled the role as clerk-of-course at the track for 58 years, retired from the job earlier this year.

The racing club had hoped to make an official presentation to the 82-year-old at last week's carnival, but the coronavirus pandemic put an end to those plans.

WRC chairman Nick Rule said it was disappointing that Dwyer's deeds could not be recognised last week.

"The club was disappointed we couldn't acknowledge Leo's work last week," Rule said. "We had no crowds on-course for the two days. We were going to present Leo with an honorary life membership of the club and name the clerk-of-course stalls in his honour.

"We will be making a public recognition of Leo's achievements once the crowds are back at the races.

"It's fitting we've named the clerk-of-stalls in his honour and they will be his legacy for his years working with the Warrnambool Racing Club and racing in general."

Dwyer said he was delighted with what the club was doing for him.

"It was a surprise to be told the club was naming the clerk-of-course stalls after me," he said.

"It's humbling. I loved my time working as the clerk-of-the-course for all those years. I must admit it was a lot different last week, watching a Grand Annual Steeplechase from the comfort of my lounge room on the television compared to working at the meeting."

Dwyer has joined former long serving stewards Des Gleeson and Ray Murrihy, plus former top Camperdown jockey Neville "Nifty" Wilson, as honorary life members of the WRC.

RACING Victoria, with the consultation of the Australian Jumping Racing Association, has moved high-weight races for jumps jockeys where there are races for flat jockeys to other meetings until at least August 31.

The move has been put in place to reduce the crossover between the two riding groups for the safe continuation of racing due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The same occurred at Warrnambool last week when two exclusive meetings were conducted. Tuesday was for jumps jockeys and Wednesday's meeting saw flat jockeys compete.

The nine high-weight races programmed across the following meetings in May-July have been converted to races for flat riders only - Seymour (May 21), Hamilton (May 26), Seymour (June 18), Moe (June 25) and Moe (July 28).

The Casterton Cup meeting on Sunday, May 17 will now be conducted for flat riders only, with the three jumps races removed from the program and replaced by three flat races.

The Casterton meeting on Saturday, June 27 will now be conducted for jumps riders only with a fourth jumps race, a restricted steeplechase , added and the three flat races converted to high-weight races.

Prizemoney for an open steeplechase at Casterton on June 27 has been increased from $27,000 to $67,500 in recognition of the equivalent race removed from the May 17 program.

The Casterton and Coleraine meetings on Sundays, August 9 and 16 will now be conducted for jumps riders only with each meeting to host a combination of jumps and high-weight races. This brings to six the number of meetings exclusively for jumps riders between May and August 2020.

RV executive general manager-racing Greg Carpenter said the nation was having some success in its efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, but the challenge remains unabated for racing to keep the sport and training going safely within Victoria.

"The industry biosecurity protocols are as important today as they were six weeks ago," Carpenter said.

"We have continued to review them throughout and make adjustments to help protect the industry now and provide multiple options if a participant or industry official tests positive at any time. The changes help reduce the amount of crossover between jumps and flat jockeys from 15 to eight meetings between now and the conclusion of the jumps racing season at the end of August. The changes also take into account advice from the Casterton and Coleraine racing clubs that they would find it difficult with their infrastructure to appropriately segregate jockeys on raceday at their upcoming meetings."

Carpenter said the racing industry understood it was not ideal for jumps trainers, owners and riders to be making changes during the middle of the season, however these are unprecedented times that require the industry to remain agile as we continue to navigate this crisis.

PETER Chow will push ahead with a winter jumping campaign for Robbie's Star after his fourth placing in the Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool on Tuesday.

Robbie's Star was beaten less than three lengths in the Galleywood, and now the Warrnambool-based trainer has his sights set on the Australian Hurdle for the eight-year-old.

"I was very happy with his run in the Galleywood," Chow said. "It would have suited Robbie's Star better if the track was heavier for the Galleywood. He just loves heavy tracks. I'm just hoping we get a real heavy track for the Australian Hurdle."

The Australian Hurdle will be run at Sandown on May 24.