Horse racing’s return to Ellerslie gains momentum with glowing track reviews

Advantage ridden by Opie Bosson gets the win in the Karaka Million 2YO held at Ellerslie Racecourse in January 2018. Photo / Peter Meecham

Ellerslie has taken another major step toward reopening and being ready for the 2024 TAB Karaka Millions meeting.

The home of Auckland thoroughbred racing has been closed for 18 months for the installation of a StrathAyr track, which was handed back to the club recently so it could start undergoing the return to racing protocols needed to ensure the track is safe for racing.

The first of those saw two horses cantering on the track last week with glowing reports and Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR) had more horses work there on Monday morning, again with senior jockeys praising the new surface.

“You could hold a meeting here tomorrow,” said premiership-leading jockey Warren Kennedy, who remarkably had never been to Ellerslie until Monday.

For this second session, 10 horses, from Clotworthy Racing Stables, Marsh Racing, Pike Racing and Forsman Racing, were ridden by senior jockeys Kennedy, Vinny Colgan, Michael McNab, Sam Spratt and Masa Hashizume.

All the jockeys are once again very complimentary of the track - especially considering the Ellerslie region has seen 43mm of rain over the weekend.

“You wouldn’t know we’ve had any rain, it’s drained exceptionally well,” said Kennedy.

“When you walk on the track it feels firm underfoot but has a really good spring when the horses are on it.”

Spratt, who said the new track felt a touch firm last weekend, said the rain had improved the surface and it was great to ride on.

Colgan was blown away by how the track performed considering the amount of rain over the weekend.

“I’m just really impressed with the turf, after 43mm of rain,” he commented.

“And it feels so safe. Perfect.”

ATR racing manager Craig Baker was really pleased with the outcome of today’s gallop.

“The 43mm of rain we had since Friday came at exactly the right time as it gave the track the opportunity to highlight one of its key virtues, which is drainage,” he said.

“The fact that we had that much rain and the track was a Good 4 this morning is testament to its ability to drain.

“We now push on with confidence to jumpouts then trials next month.”

Phase three of the return to racing protocols will see jumpouts take place early next month followed by the fourth and final phase of having official trials, also scheduled for December.

If Ellerslie as expected continues to please officials it will then be cleared to hold its first meeting in 22 months on January 14 followed by the mammoth TAB Karaka Millions meeting on January 27.

ATR is already planning for that to be the case and will announce soon when packages and tickets for the Millions meeting go on sale.

The two major ATR meetings before the reopening, on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, will both be held at Pukekohe which has done an enormous job holding the ATR meetings while Ellerslie has undergone its refurbishment.