After four months out of action the troublesome Sandown Lakeside circuit has been given the green light to host racing again.
The return meeting is scheduled for February 1 after trials were conducted on the circuit last Friday and given the tick of approval from senior jockeys and Racing Victoria stewards.
Remedial work was carried out after two meetings on the Lakeside track were abandoned last year because of safety issues, particularly around the home turn.
“Analysis revealed areas of subsidence around the point of the track at which fields were simultaneously descending and turning left-handed, which appeared to cause horses to dip, in turn creating concerns among riders,” Melbourne Racing Club general manager of racing, Jake Norton, said.
As part of the remedial work, the radius of the home turn at the 425m mark was increased from 142m to 150m so the sharpness of the turn is diminished into the low point of the track.
“All of the jockeys that rode in the trials on the Sandown Lakeside track on Friday were very pleased with how it has turned out following the investigation and remedial work conducted by the MRC,” Victorian Jockeys Association chief executive Matthew Hyland said.
“Each gave it a full vote of confidence for a return to racing on February 1, and look forward to riding on the track in its improved layout.”
