Gold Coast Magic Millions race meeting moved to Sunshine Coast as police investigate racetrack damage

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Testing is underway to determine the exact cause of turf discolouration that has upended a race meet and puts on one of Queensland's richest horse racing events under a cloud.

Transcript

00:00A glittering race meeting turned upside down.

00:05We booked it in a couple of months ago, it's been looking good, until we found out last

00:09night no horses.

00:10Bit of a bugger, but we'll make the most of it.

00:12Racing Queensland made the call to move the first day of the Magic Millions to the Sunshine

00:17Coast after a section of the course was discovered damaged.

00:23Police are investigating whether it was done willfully.

00:26The race meet was moved two hours north up the Bruce Highway to the Caloundra Turf Club,

00:32frustrating many.

00:33Well, it's disgraceful.

00:34I know the police are actively investigating at the moment.

00:36Normally you've got days or weeks to prepare, but this was just a matter of hours to put

00:42all this together.

00:43The carnival reaps in up to $50 million for the region.

00:47Some punters were disappointed, but others turned up for the entertainment.

00:51We're here for my birthday, so when everything got moved we just decided to still come.

00:56I hope, I hope that in a very short period of time the police find who was responsible.

01:02Organisers are confident the track will be fixed by next Saturday's main Magic Millions

01:07race day, one of the richest and most famed race days in the country.

01:12We've already put the wheels in motion to mobilise some expert support out of down south.

01:18That could mean dropping in fresh turf.

01:20I understand it's been done at Flemington before and Caulfields.

01:24At this point in time we're comfortable we've got a good result and we'll be racing here

01:27on Magic Millions Day.

01:29A race to get the carnival back on track.

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