PERHAPS shock would be the more appropriate term rather than horror to describe the reaction to the decision by the Australian Jockey Club to keep the controversial cut-away rail at their Randwick and Warwick Farm racecourses.
Just when it was thought that sanity would prevail and the cut-away would become part of racing history, the decision was made to keep the concept - although it was agreed to take it back 50 metres at Randwick to the 300-metre mark in the home straight.
So now we have had it at the 350 metres then altered to the 250 metres and now back to the 300 mark.
At Warwick Farm it remains the same, only because the straight is 326 metres, but the problem is still there.
Leading Sydney trainer John Hawkes, the man responsible of preparing the Ingham Brothers' huge string of horses at Warwick Farm made the comment that perhaps if the cut-away would remain then it should also be used in barrier trials.
Hawkes was concerned at the lack of experience two-year-olds have with the cut-away, especially visiting horses from interstate for the rich carnivals in Sydney.
