Horse racing: Ellerslie racing surface given all clear, senior jockey says it needs more racing

Velocious winning on Karaka Millions night, when misty rain caused the new Ellerslie tract to become slippery in some areas.

Ellerslie’s new racing surface has been given the green light for Saturday’s Avondale Cup meeting and senior jockeys say what it needs now is more racing.

The new StrathAyr surface caused some concerns on TAB Karaka Millions night when it became slippery in some areas, caused by misty rain during the meeting.

After jockeys agreed to keep riding, the meeting was completed without incident but Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR) bosses weren’t shying away from the issues.

Jumpouts were held at Ellerslie on Monday and the track pleased officials and jockeys, meaning it is good to go for not only Saturday’s Avondale Cup and Guineas meeting but the Derby and Auckland Cup meetings on March 2 and 9.

“We organised these jumpouts so we and all the participants could be confident in the surface,” says ATR chief executive Paul Wilcox.

“We had over 60 horses go around and we are good to go.”

Wilcox says his staff, headed by track manager Jason Fulford, are still learning about the new surface and how best to prepare it for race days while it is still so new.

“We aren’t hiding from that. This is a very new track, so we are learning.”

“Jason has been able to phantom core the track, which basically means breaking up the top 30 millimetres of the root structure, which has grown so well it has matted at the top.

“If anything, it has grown too well.

“So breaking that up will allow horses to get into it a bit more and of course water as well.

“But we all know race-day rain can be tricky for any track and we are working to counter that and are confident we have those structures in place.”

Senior jockey Warren Kennedy was one of those who rode at Monday’s jumpouts and says the track needs one thing above anything else: horses running on it.

“The track is good, as it was before the Karaka Millions,” Kennedy told the Herald.

“What happened that night could have happened on any track because, any time you get that light rain for 3-4 mils on race night, any track can become more slippery than is ideal.

“In those situations you actually want it to be a downpour if it does rain so it soaks into the track rather than sits on top.

“But while the staff are doing a good job and the track was ready to go before the Millions, what it needs is horses running on it.

“That is the best thing for any track, the horses running over it and breaking it so if any rain does come there is traction.

“I think on the Mondays before we race, like yesterday, they are going to have horses gallop on the section of the track where the races will be held and I think that will help.

“The bottom line is it is a new track and it has been built for horses to race and gallop on and that will be the best thing for it.”

Ellerslie is scheduled to hold six more meetings before going into its winter break, with Saturday’s fixture a crucial lead-up to Cup week.

“This week we have a good meeting with good horses then we have the bigger crowd meetings of Cup week,” Wilcox says.

“We know both Derby Day [March 2] and Cup Day [March 9] will sell out for hospitality so I’d suggest people book for that now because we saw how quickly the Karaka Millions sold out.”

Back on track

Ellerslie’s busy next month

Saturday: Avondale Cup and Guineas Day

March 2: Trackside NZ Derby Day

March 9: Auckland Cup Day.