MOUNT Gambier Racing Club officials have called for the thoroughbred industry to have short-term patience with the 18-month old redeveloped track amid some disruptions to racing.
This follows a number of scheduled race meetings being transferred to other regional clubs to allow the grass to further consolidate.
According to the club yesterday, there are problems with sections of grass at two pressure points on the $3.3m new circuit.
Club officials have foreshadowed the next race meeting at Allan Scott Glenburnie Racecourse was likely to be in late March.
The track has been closed since early December following the running of the Gold Cup.
The club hopes the warm weather and 47mm of rain that pummelled the track late last week will help the grass in these two sections of track strengthen and rejuvenate.
It is understood the problems with the track are fuelling some frustrations among trainers given the disruptions to training and race meetings at the Mount Gambier venue.
Club president John Fartch urged the industry to have patience to allow the young track to “mature and develop”.
“People need to understand the new track is still developing. It will be probably two years before the track is 100pc ready,” Mr Fartch said.
“All we ask as a committee is for people to have patience so we can keep improving and building the Mount Gambier Racing Club and employment in the district.”
The racing leader said there were two small problem patches of the track – located on the corners – that were damaged by racing.
Acknowledging some small renovations were under way to the track, he said the club was pleased with the overall state of the circuit and believed the current issues would be resolved.
Mr Fartch suggested in hindsight maybe the club should had fewer races on the new track.
“The track is being managed in cooperation with the state’s racing industry who have decades of experience, including with these newer sand-based tracks,” he said.
He said the provincial status prize money would be transferred to the smaller regional race clubs at Penola and Bordertown in coming weeks.
Mr Fartch also revealed it was not easy allocating race meetings, which were scheduled 12 months ahead in cooperation with Sky Racing.
“It was always hoped we could run these meetings, however due to the need for the track to mature, the odd meeting will need to be transferred,” the club president said.
Club general manager Brett Watson said he understood the frustrations brewing among the regional industry.
“We want to see racing at Glenburnie as much as they do,” Mr Watson told The Border Watch yesterday.
He said the circuit’s turf responded to warm conditions and was a “summer grass”.
“There are a couple of pressure points on the track that are not quite right. There is not quite enough grass coverage there – we want it to be 100pc right and safe,” he said.
“It is still a new track and it has had a fair bit of racing on it so we need to make sure it recovers. It is no different to Morphettville which had five weeks off over January and that has come back significantly better,” he said.
“We want to make sure the track can get through the winter as well.”
The track was opened mid last year following a major redevelopment, which included new drainage and turf.
It is the second major redevelopment of the track in the past 20 years.
