The Newcastle Jockey Club has received a major boost with the announcement of $11 million in upgrades, highlighted by the creation of an inside track.
The new turf racing surface will mimic the Kensington track at Randwick and will span 20 metres across to cater for 14 starters.
The course proper will also undergo major repair and resurfacing to correct negative cambering and improve crossings and drainage.
The project will be carried out in two stages to avoid disruption of any racing at the track.
Racing minister George Souris said both tracks would be resurfaced using new turf technology to improve resistance to varied weather.
“When completed, Newcastle will boast outstanding racing surfaces and enhanced capacity to conduct barrier trials and racehorse training,” Souris said.
The funding for the project has been allocated from the Race Fields Fees fund, which was awarded to Racing NSW following a High Court battle with bookmakers.
Newcastle is the first beneficiary but other tracks are also expected to receive repairs and upgrades in the future.
The announcement of the $11 million project comes in the midst of the club’s Newcastle Cup carnival and almost a year after the Newcastle Jockey Club was forced to shut down the track for two months after jockeys expressed safety concerns over its uneven surface.
Broadmeadow is the fourth largest training centre in NSW and Peter V’landys, chief executive of Racing NSW, says the upgrade is a major boost.
“It is imperative that we have the best available surfaces for the safety of both the jockeys and racehorses,” he said.
“It is also important that punters have confidence in betting on tracks that are conducive to competitive racing and on surfaces that are free of bias.”
