Hamilton Racing Club’s on-course dams are empty after a dry spring and summer, forcing it to move its March 15 meeting. Worryingly, the club’s April 14 meeting, which has three jumps races scheduled as lead-ups to Warrnambool’s May Racing Carnival, is also under threat unless substantial rain falls in the next month.

HRC president Peter Young said storages at the course were dry.

“Up here we really went from winter straight into summer,” Young said.

“We virtually had no spring rain. The grass just never grew.”

According to Bureau of Meteorology figures, Hamilton has had almost half its average rainfall for the five months to the end of February, including just 13mm last month.

Young said the club had discussed its lack of water with Racing Victoria (RV), Country Racing Victoria and Southern Grampians Shire.

“We’re trying to work out the issues,” Young said.

“We used to get water off the Mitre 10 building on the corner of Cavendish and Coleraine roads for our main dam but the property in between us has changed hands and the drain between us has been filled in.

“We’ve lost the March 15 meeting but my biggest concern is the April 14 race date. We’ve got three jumps races programmed as a lead-in to Warrnambool. 

“We need a good 4 track rating for the jumpers and at this stage we’re a long way from that. I just hope the weather breaks shortly.”

Warrnambool Racing Club CEO John Green said RV would have enough time to find an alternate venue to host the three jumps races programmed for the April 14 meeting at Hamilton if no rain fell at the course in the lead-up to race date.

“Our preferred option is to have the jumps races at Hamilton,” Green said. 

“It’s good if the local meetings are held in the area but if they don’t get rain it’s out of our hands. 

“I would be confident RV could transfer the three jumps races from Hamilton to either Sandown on the Wednesday or Bendigo on the Thursday if there is no rain at Hamilton in the lead-up to the proposed race date.”

Hamilton trainer Ron Daniel, who is based at the course, said preparations for his 18 horses in work were being compromised.

“It’s been a tough few months trying to train horses here,” Daniel said.

“There’s just been not much water in the dam so they can’t water the tracks. 

“In some cases I haven’t been able to gallop horses before a race as the track surface has been too hard so I have to take them to the races underdone.”

RV announced late yesterday the March 15 race would be transferred to Terang.