On track for success: Murray Bridge Racing Club gets more investment
A new turf training track at the Gifford Hill racecourse will reduce wear and tear on the main track.
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Work has started on a new racetrack at Gifford Hill.
The turf training track, which will sit inside the main track, will add another string to Murray Bridge Racing Club’s bow as it aims to become the home of horse racing in South Australia.
It will also reduce wear and tear on the main track, which is currently being used by as many as 120 horses in a single morning.
Alongside a sand and fibre training track, a recently finished uphill sand track, and a stables and training pool still to come, the racing club will soon have every facility the industry could want.
Club chairman John Leahy said the development would cement Murray Bridge’s reputation as a base from which trainers could achieve success, such as that enjoyed by Michael Hickmott and Grant Young over the past year.
Another local trainer, Karen Byrnes, said she looked forward to its completion.
“This additional track will really help to take the pressure off (the main track),” she said.
“Together with the sand track, it’s really going to boost the facilities available here at Murray Bridge, with a range of different training environments available for the horses.”
The state government will meet part of the cost of the new track.
State Recreation, Sport and Racing Minister Corey Wingard predicted that the investment would create jobs in both the construction and racing industries.
Local company Spry Civil Construction is handling the first stage of work on the new track.
Its turf is due to be laid by December so it can be used by March or April.
