Written by Paul Vettise
It’s a welcome case of déjà vu for Group 1 winning trainer Mark Newnham with news of work to begin on Warwick Farm’s Polytrack in early November.
It is a continuation of the Australian Turf Club’s extensive upgrade of training facilities across its four venues with the $5.4 million project jointly funded through a partnership between the ATC and Racing New South Wales. It is expected to take three months to complete.
“My stables are split between the two tracks Randwick and Warwick Farm and we’ve been through that at Randwick, recently replacing the dirt track with the Poly,” Newnham said.
Trainer Mark Newnham
“That really took from mid-October to mid-January for completion. We’re seeing the benefits of it now, especially in this wet weather. We’re able to work our horses and gallop them as if we’ve got fine and sunny weather.
“We’re able to work our horses and gallop them as if we’ve got fine and sunny weather.” – Mark Newnham.
“It just means you can maintain your horses’ fitness whatever the weather conditions are. Replacing the Pro-Ride track at Warwick Farm with a Poly is only going to be a positive for horses and trainers.”
Newnham said the continued investment had major long-term benefits.
“They’re upgrading tracks and prize money so it enables us to keep more horses racing in this State. With the level of prize money now it’s not as attractive to send your 2 and 3-year-olds to Asia and it also keeps horses sounder on better surfaces.”
Fellow Group 1 winning Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride, who has 50 horses in work at the centre, was also delighted work will begin on the Polytrack.
“It’s really great. I had a good look at the one at Hawkesbury when they had trials and I was very impressed,” he said.
The ATC will work with Warwick Farm trainers leading up to the construction process to put in place suitable alternate training options to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.
The announcement follows the successful construction and opening of a Polytrack at Royal Randwick in January this year, which has been has been widely praised by trainers and jockeys.
“It’s really great. I had a good look at the one at Hawkesbury when they had trials and I was very impressed.” – Joe Pride.
It will also complete construction of upgraded or new all-weather synthetic training surfaces at all four Australian Turf Club racecourses.
“We are pleased to work with the Australian Turf Club to upgrade training facilities at their metropolitan racecourses as we strive to make Sydney racing a world leader,” Racing NSW Chairman Russell Balding said.
Watch: The Royal Randwick Polytrack
ATC Chairman Matthew McGrath said the timing of the Warwick Farm project’s commencement was planned to minimise disruption between spring and autumn carnivals.
“Warwick Farm is our largest training centre with some 730 horses on average in work each day.
“We have consulted widely with trainers and the early November start will mean minimum disruption to upcoming Spring Carnival programs and with planned completion well ahead of autumn schedules.”
