Racing: Synthetic debut on track

Photo / Trish Dunell

Officials planning New Zealand's first synthetic track horse racing meeting on Wednesday admit there is one number that are struggling with.

"We really don't know how many people to expect to turn up," says Cambridge Jockey Club chief executive Mark Fraser-Campin.

Wednesday's meeting will be the first race meeting on the new all-weather track which is set to be a crucial part of New Zealand's winter racing, with a meeting every second Wednesday until October.

The track will provide respite from some of the Heavy 10 or 11 tracks punters got a taste of over the weekend and which put plenty off winter betting.

While the synthetic track will also suit some horses better than others and they have a reputation for being leader-biased, trial results show that the new Cambridge surface provides fair enough racing, although leaders are always going to have an advantage on any smaller track.

The transition from training centre to full racetrack is no small task as everything from stipendiary and broadcasting towers need to be put in as well as facilities for racegoers.

"We got our alcohol licence last week which is great, because we want the option of our winning owners, and anybody else, having a drink," says Fraser-Campin.

"We expect there to be quite a few people come along on Wednesday because it is the first day and real novelty.

"But how many is hard to tell, it might depend on the weather."

The club have erected marquees next to the track for racegoers, with off-site caterers to feed them as well more traditional racecourse fare available. They will stay up throughout the winter season.

"We are going to make sure people are looked after but more in your country race meeting style.

"We realise as we get into the winter and the novelty of the first few meetings wear off we may not have that many non-industry people come along but we are going to make sure people who do come can stay warm and dry and get something to eat and drink."

The debut meeting has attracted huge fields and will mean plenty of horses see the synthetic track in coming days.

"We have a massive week," explains Fraser-Campin.

"We have jumping trials on the grass on Monday then we will have about 400 horses work on the synthetic track on Tuesday morning and trials later that day.

"We will then have about 450 horses work on the track Wednesday morning, we will condition it and have the nine races starting at 11.22am.

"And the great thing is the track will be the same every day. It really is working."

While Wednesday's meeting will be a standard industry raceday with $10,000 stakes the club will save the hoopla of a more official opening day until July.

"We have a meeting in July which will have the $40,000 special races and the ribbon-cutting type ceremony. But we have made so much progress and it has happened so fast we are all excited to get down to racing."