By Luke Voogt
Geelong will lose its synthetic horse track after Racing Victoria yesterday announced plans to scrap the course in favour of Ballarat.
Geelong Racing Club chief executive officer Daniel Salter said the city would lose eight of its 36 annual race meets as a result.
“There’ll be an impact that we’ve got to work through.”
The club has hosted wet-weather races on the 1858m synthetic track, the first in Victoria, since it opened in 2007.
“You can still race on grass in wet conditions but it means a heavier track,” Mr Salter said.
The decision would mean fewer chances for local horse owners and trainers to compete but would not cost the club financially, according to Mr Salter.
“The meetings that we lose will be our less-profitable mid-week meetings,” he said.
“Generally all the Tuesdays we lose money – I’d say 90 per cent.“
Mr Salter was taking the news positively, after passing on the announcement to local trainers yesterday.
“The Geelong Racing Club, although disappointed with the decision, will continue to evolve and grow,” he said.
“Although the club will lose a great asset in the synthetic track, it will work with the industry and the local trainers to determine its replacement, be that an inside grass track or an alternative.
“The club is in a good position after two very strong financial years and is excited about its future.”
The club will look to build more stables to attract big-name trainers, to take advantage of proposed changes and closures in metro training centres.
The recent move of Group 1 trainers Troy and Leon Corstens of Malua Racing to Geelong indicated a great opportunity to increase the Club’s training numbers, Mr Salter said.
Geelong Racing Club president Peter Murrihy said the club had done a lot of work with Racing Victoria during the synthetic racing review process.
“The Geelong Racing Club… did everything possible to keep the track,“ Mr Murrihy said.
“The Club will continue to work strategically with the industry to allow Geelong to maintain the maximum number of race meets at the track.
“The committee will assess the decision and provide further feedback to our members and trainers, once a greater understanding of our options are worked through with Racing Victoria.”
Ballarat will become the new home for the state’s synthetic track after Racing Victoria announced it had “won the race“ ahead of Geelong and Kilmore.
The Geelong synthetic track was in need of replacement at the end of this year, according to Racing Victoria.
The decision will result in Racing Victoria building a new grass track to replace the synthetic track at Geelong.
