Racehorse TALK

Let's hope it turns out a little better than the Geelong track fiasco.

AAP From: Friday, 12 February 2010

Werribee Racing Club will race for the first time in three years in December and host up to 10 meetings a season after a $5 million track upgrade.


Werribee Racing Club will race for the first time in three years in December and host up to 10 meetings a season after a $5 million track upgrade.

The track will get its first test when it will be home to the overseas spring raiders who will be accommodated in a new $1.4 million International Horse Quarantine Centre on the course.

Deputy Premier and racing minister Rob Hulls inspected the site for the centre behind the existing grandstand on Friday, and said that along with track reconstruction and new plastic running rails, it would provide excellent resources for trainers and horses.

Work will begin in March on the centre which will also have an equine surgery while the new track base is already down and grass will be laid before the end of April.

"These upgrades will make Werribee the ideal place for international owners and trainers to quarantine their horses when they stay in Victoria as it will offer a high-standard training track and new stabling facilities," Hulls said.

The quarantine facility replaces the existing arrangement at Sandown racecourse and the facility at Spotswood.

The state government will provide $1.12 million towards the quarantine centre and $2.5 million for the track reconstruction while Racing Victoria (RVL) and Country Racing Victoria will meet the remaining costs.

The new track will have a field capacity of 14 with race meetings held between December and August each year.

Hulls said the track reconstruction, despite the project managers Akron going in to voluntary administration, was on schedule to be completed before international raiders arrived for the 2010 spring racing carnival.

RVL will re-employ Akron workers to complete the track and the first meeting is scheduled to be held on it on December 18.

Hulls said Werribee would be the third of 25 clubs to have new plastic running rails installed as part of a $2.3 million statewide roll-out launched this week, providing the safest conditions for jockeys and horses anywhere in Australia.

Racing Victoria Limited chief operating officer Bernard Saundry said the upgraded racetrack and plastic running rails would significantly enhance the safety and appeal of racing at Werribee, while the International Horse Quarantine Centre would be a key industry asset.

"The state-of-the-art quarantine centre will be critical in attracting international participation in Victoria's feature thoroughbred races, particularly during the spring racing carnival, and will indeed put Werribee on the world racing map," he said.

Werribee committeeman Leon Koch said it was an unexpected and welcome rebirth of racing for the club which seemed doomed after its last meeting was held in November 2007.

"This is exciting," Koch said. "We never through we would get this far."

He said Werribee would be the best track in the west and would be people-friendly with a new configuration of the mounting yard and surrounding infrastructure.