The prestigious New Zealand Cup thoroughbred classic at Christchurch's Riccarton racetrack has been abandoned, after slippery conditions almost caused calamity in the third event of the day.
Saturday's programme was to feature the Cup and 1000 Guineas - the climax of Cup Week - with 15,000 punters on course for the 12-race card.
But the meeting brought to a halt, when apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland and Harmonious slipped at the top of the straight in race three, prompting several inspections and running repairs to bring the track back to a usable state.
No horses or jockey were injured in the incident, but the risk was enough to end racing for the day.
"On the firm surface underneath, the fact that the grass is quite long and with a little bit of rain overnight, it just hasn't dried underneath which means that there is an area of the track that is unsafe," said leading jockey Lisa Allpress.
"There is more than just the one slip mark and there are quite a few out there.
“We really tried [to save the meeting] and with daylight saving hours available, we might have been able to put the meeting back, but with the length of the grass and the amount of moisture in it, it just isn't going to dry out.
"Jockey and horse safety is paramount, but this isn't a decision made lightly and it is just devastating for everybody."
NZ Thoroughbred Racing will try to reschedule the remaining races - including the two main features - for Sunday or Monday to minimise the financial impact on the industry and the club.
