Racing NSW ramps up bid to secure land for new training centre in Sydney

Racing NSW has plans to build a state-of-the-art training centre and more stable boxes in the Sydney region to improve the number of horses in work.

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Racing NSW has plans to build a state-of-the-art training centre and more stable boxes in the Sydney region.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys confirmed various locations are being considered for the development of the training centre, which would accommodate at least 1000 horses.

And Racing NSW’s just released strategic plan also identifies the “potential to add between 500 and 550 stable boxes and ancillary facilities to racecourses in the Sydney basin, facilitating up to 3000 additional starters each season”.

“Racing NSW is looking to buy over 1000 acres for the training centre,’’ V’landys said.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys. Picture: Toby Zerna

“The plan is to make this a full racing industry complex with an Industry Training Academy and veterinary hospital on site.’’

Racing NSW’s 2019 Strategic Plan details the long-term objective to “create a new training centre that is readily accessible to Sydney to improve the number of horses in work’’.

The Strategic Plan states: “The training centre will be targeted at trainers seeking to establish themselves in the metropolitan/provincial area or expand their operation at a high-quality venue, located close to relatively affordable accommodation and other amenities for staff.

“The vision for this training centre is to have ready access to excellent training facilities including synthetic and turf fast work tracks and ancillary training facilities, with these being at least the equal of those anywhere in NSW. The training centre will have the ability to accommodate up to 400 horses in training.’’

V’landys said “improvements to training facilities and additional stabling, allied with an increase in the availability of skilled stable staff will enable trainers to expand their existing number of horses in work.’’

RACING CONFIDENTIAL

Carnival changes?

Sydney racing officials will undertake an autumn carnival review in coming weeks with an emphasis on race programming.

Given the success of the carnival, there will be a reluctance to make any wholesale changes but there is always room for improvement.

The final Group 1 race of the autumn, the All Aged Stakes won by Pierata last week, is one of the better races of the carnival and deserves a prizemoney boost to at least $1 million (up from $600,000).

The additional money could be taken off the Percy Sykes Stakes, a race restricted to two-year-old fillies and boasting $1 million prizemoney which seems excessive.

The status of the Sydney Cup has risen in recent years but the race is still reduced to a support act on the Queen Elizabeth Stakes program.

But when Polarisation won the Sydney Cup re-run two years ago, it inadvertently provided the ATC with a blueprint to close off the carnival. If the iconic Sydney Cup was switched to the All Aged meeting, it would provide a significant boost to the final day of the autumn carnival.

The Rosehill meeting featuring the Tancred Stakes and Vinery Stud Stakes is the weak link. It needs a third Group 1 race to stand on its own but it is unlikely a major will be switched from Slipper Day.

Clarendon edging closer to upgrade

The Hawkesbury Race Club is continuing to push for its feature two-year-old race, the $125,000 TAB Clarendon Stakes, to be elevated to Listed level.

The Clarendon Stakes is one of the signature races on the HRC’s stand-alone meeting and has been won by some very good two-year-olds over the years, including Graff, Zoustar, Kanzan, Fravashi and Royal Discretion.

“We are getting closer to having the Clarendon made a Listed race,’’ HRC chief executive Greg Rudolph said. “If the race can keep rating at a certain level for three consecutive years then it will earn stakes status. We are knocking on the door.’’

Hawkesbury Race Club chief executive Greg Rudolph. Picture: Laura Lebedeff

The Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting, first run in 2006, now has three Group 3 races and a Listed race on the nine-event program and nearly $1.3 million in prizemoney.

Rudolph said he is pleased with the overall quality of tomorrow’s stand-alone meeting.

“There were 113 final acceptors which is on a par with the best we have had for this raceday,’’ Rudolph said.

“They are excellent fields. The Guineas (10 starters) and Crown (nine starters) are a bit light on numbers but the quality is there across the nine races.

“The Hawkesbury Rush is a terrific sprint field, the Cup as always looks a very competitive race and the TAB Highway is strong in numbers.’’

Rudolph said all the function rooms and marquees are booked out for tomorrow’s with the club expected more than 10,000 race fans to the meeting.

Strip tunes up for Brisbane

Brilliant sprinter Nature Strip gears up for a Brisbane winter carnival campaign when he has a barrier trial hit-out at Royal Randwick on Friday. Trainer Chris Waller has the choice of starting Nature Strip in a 740m trial or another heat over 1050m. Nature Strip hasn’t raced since holding off Pierata in the Group 1 The Galaxy.

Originally published as Racing NSW ramps up bid to secure land for new training centre in Sydney