THE Mount Gambier Racing Club has kicked off a major upgrade to the track at the Allan Scott Glenburnie Racecourse, with drainage work beginning on Wednesday.
The complete track surface will be removed, with new drainage and soil to ensure a venue more tolerant to the winter rains experienced in the Limestone Coast.
The importance of the upgrade was on display last week when the summer version of the gold cup was postponed from Friday, after heavy rain in the preceding days.
The cup was originally brought forward from 2018 due to the upgrade, providing punters in the region a one-day race meeting, rather than nothing at all.
However, the rain put paid to that, with the meeting then transferred to Monday this week.
In the end it was a history-making result, with Survived winning its third straight cup, something that has never been achieved and unlikely to be repeated.
But for the future it is hoped the cup will not have to be postponed again, which also happened in 2016, which was then transferred to Penola.
In both cases the MGRC lost a significant amount of income, which is required to maintain the venue.
Club president John Fartch said it was exciting to see the work finally begin.
“It is a big relief,” he said.
“It took three attempts to get the money and now it is there, we would just like everybody to work with us and in five months time it will all be done and dusted.”
However, that five months will not be when racing returns, with the track needing time for the grass to settle.
“It all depends on how the grass grows and consolidates,” Fartch said.
“They have learnt from other tracks in the past, where they have raced on them too soon and they are having trouble with them now.
“It might be 12 months, it might be 14 months, but again it all depends on the weather.”
The drainage work includes new aggregate to provide a stable base, along with many metres of pipe to drain the excess water away to dams in the middle of the track.
The soil coming in from Penola has been tested several times to ensure it drains adequately, with a trench every four metres around the track so it all runs to plan.
The drainage pipes will also be accessible for future maintenance, should they present any issues or block up.
There will be some minor disruption to trainers at the venue over the coming weeks, with the main track now available for work until the new year.
The inside track will have the turf cut for the drainage works, then along with the sand track will be returned for use.
“When work starts on the main track, the inside track will be consolidated,” Fartch said.
“Then the trainers can return to the inside track and the sand to work their horses.
“We are doing our utmost to keep a grass track available for the trainers.”
However, Fartch said the one thing that could not be accounted for was the weather, as was seen not just at Mount Gambier last week, but also at other venues around the country.
“You cannot help what happens with the weather, but everyone who was here Friday appreciates that,” he said.
Regardless of Mother Nature, changes to race meetings cause a huge financial problem for the club.
Fartch said the new work was imperative to ensure consistency throughout the season for the venue itself, but also to showcase what is available here in the Limestone Coast.
“We are not for profit, but we have five permanent employees as well as numerous part time employees and I want to keep them employed,” he said.
“Only half the crowd turned up Friday because a lot of people heard it was cancelled and did not bother coming out – that is where it will cost us.
“The track staff, Lukas (Byfieldt) and his boys do a great job.
“The way it is presented, it shows Mount Gambier as the place to be.
“On Friday we had people from away who have not been here before saying this is as good as Flemington, with the roses and the fences painted white.
“It is coming across brilliant on the free-to-air TV, so Australia wide, Mount Gambier is getting showcased.
“What is that worth to the district?”
In the end the hope is not to have a repeat of last Friday, which also cost many people the opportunity to see history in the making.
“It was a pity there were only a couple of hundred people here (Monday), because you will not see that again,” Fartch said.
“That’s a Black Caviar job.
“I doubt if anyone will ever win three cups in a row again.”
