Parts of Gold Coast Turf Club track torn up as work begins to prepare it for renovations

Parts of the track at the Gold Coast Turf Club have been torn up as the first phase of the course renovations begin. Find out what officials have planned for the course this week.

THE Gold Coast Turf Club will begin trialling different varieties of turf this week in preparation for the upcoming course renovations.

Work began on Monday to prepare soil on the track and four plots of turf will be planted today before another two are added on Thursday.

Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said the turf trials will help guide the decision on what will be used when the track renovations begin.

“They will test the soil profile at multiple parts of the track that was built at multiple stages,” Parnell said.

AMAZING OFFER: GET A SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A 8.0 WITH THIS BULLETIN SUBSCRIPTION (T&Cs apply)

“The turf trials will test a variety of kikuyu grass and couch grass and we will see which works best.

“Once we have agreed with the club what grass will be grown we have to go and get it from a grass farm and that will take 12 months to grow to get to the maturity we need.”

Racing Qld CEO Brendan Parnell at the Gold Coast Turf Club race track. Picture Glenn Hampson

The track renovations will include the remediation of the course proper while the club’s four training tracks will be replaced by a 17m wide synthetic track, similar to those at Warwick Farm in Sydney and Pakenham in Victoria, and a 20m wide turf training track.

The upgrades could be completed within two years once Treasury supplied the funding.

The GCTC expects the course proper to be completed by 2021.

Stream over 50 sports Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly