Racing Victoria (RV) and the Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) have announced that tomorrow’s (Friday, 20 December) night meeting at The Valley has been abandoned due to the forecast extreme heat.
The decision, made in consultation with the RV veterinary department, Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Australian Trainers Association (ATA) and Victorian Jockeys Association (VJA), is in the best interests of horse and participant welfare.
The BOM has forecast that temperatures will reach 43 degrees in Melbourne tomorrow and remain in the high 30’s until a predicted cool change around 10pm. The race meeting was scheduled to commence at 7pm and conclude at 10.30pm.
RV Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, said: “The weather conditions forecast tomorrow are extreme and following consultation with our vets and the BOM it was determined that abandoning the meeting was the most appropriate decision for the welfare of our horses and participants.
“The hottest part of the day is predicted to be late afternoon when many horses would be required to travel and the temperature is predicted to be around 40 degrees when the meeting is scheduled to start at 7pm.”
Please note that all members and public booked in for dining will be contacted directly today to discuss their options.
There will be no Member or Public Bars, or any other member or public facilities open tomorrow night.
If you would like to contact the MVRC Customer Service team in the meantime, please call us on 1300 843 825.