A grand old lady of racing has finally succumbed to old age.
The concrete grandstand at the Waverley racecourse hit ground zero last week after experts diagnosed that serious rot had set in after being exposed to the elements for nigh on a century.
Waverley Racing Club president Sam Lennoxsaid while no one could verify an exact age, it was widely believed the old dear was at least 100 years old and crumbling. "It was buggered and you'd hate to imagine what it would cost to fix it," Lennox said yesterday.
"She was badly in need of a paint for a start, but it also would never have met today's earthquake standards. It was made of concrete and it was crumbling from the inside. No one is sure, but we think it was about 100. It was really sad to see her go, but in the end it was the best thing."
The larger of the two stands, the concrete edifice obviously had history, but nowhere near as much as its wooden neighbouring stand. The wooden stand houses all raceday facilities, including the office, betting machines, jockeys' changing rooms and bars. It also featured on the silver screen when the makers of the iconic Kiwi movie Came a Hot Friday filled it with extras during filming last century. "It is far easier to replace a few bits of timber than to try and strengthen an ageing concrete structure," Lennox said.
"The concrete steps that lead up to the old grandstand will stay at this point. They were built separately, so it was relatively simple to remove the building and leave them there. They provide a bit of elevation to watch the action on racedays and trials."
Lennox said apart from quite a bit of good rimu from the seating, not a great deal was salvaged for recycling.
