The Valley track (Image: Racing Photos)
Marty Synan is expecting rain before Friday night's Moir Stakes meeting at The Valley, but he will not be taking any risks.
The Moonee Valley Racing Club track manager will apply some water to the track 48 hours out from the first meeting of the 2018/19 Night Racing Season.
The Valley was rated a Good 4 on Wednesday afternoon, but with a fine and sunny day forecast Thursday, Synan does not feel as though he can leave it and hope the predicted rain arrives.
The Bureau of Meteorology's prediction for Friday is 'a high chance (80 per cent) of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening'.
"I'll most likely put 6mm of irrigation on tonight," Synan said on Wednesday afternoon. "That'll keep it in the Good 4 range and then, with a warm day forecast on Thursday, we may get to a Good 3 but then there is some rain forecast around Friday afternoon.
"With that rain again, that'll just put in that Good 4 range for Friday night.
"I'm going to put that 6mm on tonight and that's just probably my security. If we don't get the rain I'll know I've had a bit on it and if we don't get the rain it won't affect this track, it drains pretty well.
"Leading into the last meeting I put 10mm on two days out from the race meeting, it got to a Good 3 and raced well that day. I'm pretty confident we'll get the same, even though the conditions are pretty ordinary for Friday."
The rail will stay in the true position for Friday night's meeting and Synan is not expecting any extreme pattern, with his thoughts on that subject and how the track is placed heading into the Night Racing Season in the interview below.
WATCH: Hear from Synan on Wednesday