THE Mount Isa racecourse at Buchanan Park has bounced back to top condition for today's meeting despite being washed out last Saturday.
Club president Peter Inwood said volunteers worked quickly after parts of the track were washed away by the forced run-off from the rodeo ground.
"It recovers very well. We worked on it last Monday and they were riding track work on it Tuesday."
Today's five-race card has been some time coming.
It was originally scheduled at Buchanan Park last Saturday, before torrential rain forced it to be abandoned, then re-scheduled in Cloncurry on Sunday.
That was also abandoned.
Friday afternoon racing is not a usual occurrence in Mount Isa, said Mr Inwood, but it could be a good trial for the committee's plans to secure new and more meetings in 2013.
"Thursdays would be a good choice for us. It's only usually Rockhampton (of the Queensland regional centres) which races then."
The fields have dropped away to just 39 acceptors because of the unavailability of some jockeys through work and holiday commitments due to the postponed meeting.
"The Longreach guys have gone home for Christmas, and we only have eight available jockeys."
Mr Inwood's own stable of 28 horses, run by his trainer brother Patrick, has been hard hit by the jockey shortage with regular riders Rodney Sue-San and Max Morrissey unavailable.
All eyes will be on classy sprinter Supertax in the final event today when the six-year-old guns for three straight wins.
The Denise-Ballard trained galloper has returned from a spell in peak form, winning his last start in a blanket finish at Julia Creek.
But the big challenge for him today in the Open Handicap 1200m is his weight.
Keith Ballard will be carrying plenty of ballast with Supertax's handicap of 62.5kg.
Whether that will be enough to bring him back to the field remains to be seen, but trainer Ballard is concerned at the impost.
She said some of the horses Supertax beat narrowly last start meet her charge up to 3kg better.
Grand Mark is one of those although his record over 1200m is questionable.
The one to watch will be Repeat Offender, trained by Julia Creek's Tanya Parry.
The galloper has been very consistent, including the narrowest of seconds behind Supertax last start, and will enjoy a slight weight pull against his victory today over a distance more suitable than last start's 1100m.
In the Class 5 handicap over 1100m it's hard to go past the in-form Supreme Show from the Steven Royes stable.
The seven-year-old races in Open company last start and finished a game 0.5 length third to Supertax.
However, he too rises in weight to 61.5kg, possibly opening up the chance to the in-form speedster Jabiru Dreaming which has won its past three.
n A great day of racing kicks off today at 3pm at Buchanan Park. Fields Page 26.
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