Sky Racing accepts Eagle Farm racing reductions

Ben Dorries - Thursday August 10

Sky Racing will accept a key recommendation of the Eagle Farm report that the controversial track have a greatly reduced racing workload when it re-opens next year.

Broadcaster Sky Racing has accepted a key track report finding to the reduce Eagle Farm racing workload over the next three years  Photo: Steve Hart

There had been speculation that Tabcorp-owned broadcaster Sky could have issues with Dale Monteith's report finding that the track should have as few as 20 meetings per year, and no more than 35 a year, for each of the first three years it is back racing.

Under a current media rights deal, the Brisbane Racing Club is committed to having many more race meetings at Eagle Farm each year than recommended by the track report.

But Sky insists it wants to support the Queensland industry to do everything it can to get the track back to its best for the long-term.

And if that means less meetings at Eagle Farm while the track gets back on its feet … so be it.

"As Racing Queensland and BRC's key media partner, Sky is keen to support the rehabilitation of Eagle Farm and will work co-operatively with the Queensland racing industry in that regard," a Sky Racing spokesman said.

Eagle Farm will be closed until April at the earliest with Monteith's report resolving to remove the existing kikuyu turf and thatch layer before stripping back 50-100mm of existing sand and replacing it with "a more angular type of sand.''

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