Ellerslie bosses are approaching the long-awaited re-opening of our premier racetrack with no nerves but plenty of excitement.
After being closed for seven and a half months the home of Auckland racing is back in business on Saturday with the first meeting since the track had new drains installed around the entire circuit.
While the track was out of action the Auckland Racing Club also built a new stabling area which will provide the public with far greater access to the horses, with the total bill for both over $7 million.
While a new track surface can cause a few nerves, especially after Otaki's disastrous comeback last Sunday, ARC boss Paul Wilcox says they are confident of a successful start to the summer.
"We couldn't be happier with the track," says Wilcox. "We have strictly followed the timeline we set out and we probably could have come back earlier but we stuck to our plan.