Horses back on track at Sandown after major upgrade
Horses are set to return to the track at the Sandown racecourse in Springvale on February 19, following a $3.2m upgrade carried out over the festive season.
The work was initiated to restore the almost 30-year-old surface to top condition.
Both the Lakeside and Hillside tracks had struggled in recent years to provide a good quality surface for the 30 race meetings held at the course each year.
According to Victorian premier Denis Napthine the Sandown venue was an important part of the thoroughbred racing industry in Victoria and held the most meetings.
He said the new surface would raise the quality of the racing surface and make it more able to cope with its heavy workload and seasonal weather conditions.
Sandown Racecourse was opened in 1965 and at the time featured a 30 metre wide turfed oval shape. The home straight was 407 metres all uphill. In 1997 a quarantine centre was established on the site.
Previous to the latest upgrade, the last major work carried out at the course was in 2001 when the Melbourne Racing Club embarked on the site’s redevelopment.
The project saw the addition of a 30m wide home turn and widening of both the main straight and `turn out’ of the straight to 45m. Two turf tracks were created as a result of the work including Sandown Hillside and the Lakeside Course.
Victoria’s premier racing venue attracts thousands of racing enthusiasts and punters to every meeting and is regularly featured in major Melbourne tourism brochure and postcard printing campaigns.
The work was initiated to restore the almost 30-year-old surface to top condition.
Both the Lakeside and Hillside tracks had struggled in recent years to provide a good quality surface for the 30 race meetings held at the course each year.
According to Victorian premier Denis Napthine the Sandown venue was an important part of the thoroughbred racing industry in Victoria and held the most meetings.
He said the new surface would raise the quality of the racing surface and make it more able to cope with its heavy workload and seasonal weather conditions.
Sandown Racecourse was opened in 1965 and at the time featured a 30 metre wide turfed oval shape. The home straight was 407 metres all uphill. In 1997 a quarantine centre was established on the site.
Previous to the latest upgrade, the last major work carried out at the course was in 2001 when the Melbourne Racing Club embarked on the site’s redevelopment.
The project saw the addition of a 30m wide home turn and widening of both the main straight and `turn out’ of the straight to 45m. Two turf tracks were created as a result of the work including Sandown Hillside and the Lakeside Course.
Victoria’s premier racing venue attracts thousands of racing enthusiasts and punters to every meeting and is regularly featured in major Melbourne tourism brochure and postcard printing campaigns.