Racing: Waipukurau upgrading track in bid to attract more meetings

The Waipukurau Jockey Club is to spend $34,000 on a new running rail as part of measures to ensure its next meeting is held on its home course.

The club's last raceday, on December 4, had to be transferred to Woodville after the Waipukurau track was deemed unsafe.

Concrete feet at the bottom of the posts that hold up the existing running rail had become exposed and did not comply with health and safety regulations.

A drain running adjacent to the course proper, on the inside, had also eroded away in places to the extent that senior jockeys who inspected the track considered the ground unsafe.

To overcome both of these problems the club is now dismantling the running rail and will erect a new portable one, which is being imported from Australia at a cost of $34,000 and due to arrive on February 8.

The Waipukurau racecourse came under scrutiny last week when an inspection of the club's facilities was carried out by Campbell Moncur, racing manager of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, chief stipendiary steward Noel McCutcheon, Hawke's Bay racecourse manager Gary Foskett and Hawkes Bay Racing general manager John McGifford.

The same four had inspected the Wairoa racecourse the day before and deemed its running rail and some of the course buildings to be sub-standard.

The Wairoa Racing Club has since relinquished its two race days in February next year.

The Waipukurau Jockey Club remains determined that its next raceday, on March 23, will be held at Waipukurau.

Vice president Garry Sherratt said the club was committed to bringing the facilities up to the standards set down in the venue racing report.

"Besides the cost of the running rail, we also envisage spending another $15,000 over the next 12 months on buildings and other maintenance," he said.

Sherratt added, that apart from the March raceday and the traditional Christmas meeting in December, the club had applied for an additional raceday in August and would like to hold more barrier trials.

- NZPA