Racing to return at Belmont racecourse this month

There is renewed hope that Belmont Park in Perth could resume racing before the end of July, pending the outcome of extensive testing on recent remediation works.

The track has remained closed since late May due to safety concerns relating to a section of the home straight. The first major assessment since that closure is set for Tuesday when senior jockeys will inspect and ride on the surface.

If the surface receives positive feedback, agronomists and the Perth Racing track team will continue to monitor the track’s performance data throughout the week, leading into official test gallops planned for the following Saturday.

Should those gallops meet expectations, the next step will be to conduct up to three barrier trials on July 21, laying the groundwork for a return to racing on Belmont Classic day, scheduled for July 26.

However, based on recommendations from agronomists and track managers across Australia, Perth Racing will manage the track workload cautiously, limiting meetings to Saturdays only through to at least August 13.

“We appreciate this will cause some further disruption for everyone, but racing twice a week in winter on any track is a challenge and even more so on newly laid turf,” said Perth Racing’s James Oldring.

As punters anticipate Belmont’s return, be sure to check the latest odds and promotions across Australia’s top betting sites.