Training works on track at turf club

BALLARAT Turf Club is set to see upgrades to the inside grass track with the aim of creating a year-round racehorse training facility.

Proposed works include stripping the existing grass training track, with the base to be re-built and widened for better drainage.

A new watering system will also be installed before the turf is re-laid and railings added.

Expected to be complete early next year, the upgrade is worth about $1.3 million and part of BTC’s aim of providing a variety of horse training surfaces to local stables.

Funding for the works is coming via $400,000 from the club and $900,000 from the State Government.

“We are thankful to the Victorian Government for their ongoing support for projects such as the upgrade to our inside grass training track,” BTC chair Bill Gribble said.

“The wider upgraded track will provide a more consistent surface and better enable our ever-increasing cluster of local trainers to prepare their horses for racing.”

Of those using the training centre, about 650 horses are based at Dowling Forest while 150 live off-site.

Member for Ripon, Martha Haylett, said the State Government funding was about catering to that demand.

“Upgrades like this support the racing industry by lifting the quality of our facilities, driving participation and creating a strong and viable future for racing in Victoria,” she said.

Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison, said the new surface will not only ensure year-round use but improve animal welfare.

The grass and sand tracks will be closed during the works and training hours changed, but alternative locations will be made available to the site’s users.