Sydney's autumn carnival will be rescheduled after heavy rain forced the postponement of the rich Golden Slipper meeting because of unsafe racing conditions.
One of Australian turf's marquee races, the $3.5 million Golden Slipper for two-year-olds will now be run at Rosehill next Saturday.
The decision to hold over the meeting, which also includes four Group One races on the undercard, will impact on four other prime autumn fixtures.
All Australian Turf Club (ATC) meetings, including two days of The Championships at Randwick, will be pushed back seven days.
The Championships will now be held on April 10 and April 17 with the All Aged Stakes meeting at Randwick closing out the carnival on April 24.
"Both the ATC and Racing NSW feel that resetting the carnival one week later is the best overall option for participants and the flow of the carnival," Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys said.
The worst fears of racing officials were realised on Saturday morning when an early-morning track inspection revealed sections of surface water on the Rosehill track.
Officials said heavy overnight rain with the forecast of much more to come made it impossible for the Golden Slipper, the world's richest race for juvenile horses, to be run.
Racing NSW chief steward Marc Van Gestel inspected the track at 6am (AEDT) after two horses were sent over the course proper in a trackwork gallop to assess its suitability for racing.
Leading jockey Kerrin McEvoy reported the track "had a reasonable base to it" but more rain and a grim forecast dashed any hopes of the meeting going ahead.
"In the circumstances the track can't cope with any more rain, it's full now," Van Gestel told Sky Sports radio.
"Given the forecast for today and the way the morning has unfolded we're just not in a position to proceed."
Van Gestel had been confident the showpiece meeting would go ahead after a late Friday inspection.
He was banking on a small break in the weather to provide a window of opportunity to get through the nine-race card before the deluge hit Sydney.
But the meeting's fate was sealed when Rosehill received 25mm of overnight rain, taking the weekly total to almost 120mm.
It's the first time since the 1963 Golden Slipper won by Pago Pago that the race has been postponed.
The race was run on the following Wednesday.
Rain is forecast for Sydney throughout most of next week.
The final field and barriers for the 16 Golden Slipper runners will stand with Victorian colt Profiteer the favourite.
However, entries for the meeting's support races will be reopened, including the Ranvet Stakes where high-class English middle-distance performer Addeybb will make his return to Australian racing.
