Heavy rain and severe kickback forced the abandonment of Eagle Farm's group 1 meeting May 31, with poor visibility leading to the postponement of the final four races, including the Queensland Derby (G1) and Kingsford-Smith Cup (G1). The track was downgraded to a Heavy 10 after the BRC Sires' Produce Stakes (G2), with riders raising safety concerns over kickback.
"Unfortunately we had that delay after the Sires, and that downpour left visibility issues for the riding group," chief steward Josh Adams said. "We don't have a problem with the track, we actually think it's a genuine Heavy 10 but the visibility was becoming a concern so due to safety issues we have postponed the remainder of the card. We will work with Racing Queensland to see when we can reschedule those races but horse and rider safety is paramount."
The Queensland Derby, Kingsford-Smith Cup, and Helen Coughlan Stakes will now run June 7 alongside the Queensland Oaks (G1), while the Fred Best Classic (G3) moves to Doomben Racecourse June 4. According a post on X by Racing Queensland, both postponed group 1 races will retain the same fields with scratches reinstated while the Helen Coughlan will require fresh nominations.
