There will be no metropolitan jumps racing in Melbourne for the rest of the season, "with meetings transferred from Sandown to allow remedial work on the troubled Hillside and Lakeside tracks," according to the AAP. Racing Victoria "will work with other clubs to facilitate the transfer of 10 meetings from Sandown, which was due to host the Australian Hurdle and Steeplechase on May 30 and the Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase meetings on July 12 and July 26 respectively." Racing Victoria Racing Operations Manager Paul Bloodworth said that "the meetings with jumps races programmed would still be run, but not at a city track." Bloodworth: "Racing Victoria will work with several Victorian clubs to facilitate the transfer of these 10 race meetings and we expect to be in a position to confirm new venues by the end of the week." He said that "all transferred meetings would retain metropolitan status and prize money levels." Melbourne Racing Club CEO Brodie Arnhold said that "independent analysis showed work needed to be done on both tracks" (AAP, 4/27).
