Glut of racing impacts Warrnambool fields

Only 65 runners were accepted for the eight-race card but Warrnambool Racing Club chief executive Tom O'Connor said it was normal for meetings at this time of the year.

"There's been a lot of racing since Boxing Day," he told The Standard.

"The fields tend to thin out a bit at this time of the year especially in the country because of day and night meetings.

"We've got two high-weight races on Thursday and they don't usually attract big numbers at this stage of the year."

WRC racecourse manager Daniel Lumsden said the track should be rated a good four when the first race comes around at 1pm.

"We put irrigation on during the weekend but then gave it a break on Monday and Tuesday before putting 9mls of irrigation on Wednesday," he said.

"The weather bureau has predicted a very warm afternoon on Thursday, that's why we've irrigated a lot in the lead up to the meeting. The running rail will be in the true position for the eight races."

Promising Warrnambool jumper Robbie's Star resumes for Warrnambool trainer Peter Chow in a benchmark 58 on the flat over 1400 metres.

Chow said Robbie's Star would be targetted at the Galleywood Hurdle on the middle day of the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival, a race he ran fourth in last year.

"We'll have another crack at the Galleywood," he said.

"It's a race I would love to win. We kick off his campaign on Thursday, the 1400 metres on the flat will be a bit short for him but I'm expecting him to be closing off the race very solidly over the concluding stages.

"We've got to put the miles in his legs and this race seemed the ideal starting point."

Robbie's Star has won two races and finished in the minor placegetters stall on three occasions from his seven jumps starts.

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