By DAVID NAGEL
Tier-one horse training facility in Tynong to be opened this month…
PAKENHAM Racing Club is set to tick off another key milestone in the development of its new state-of-the-art facility at Tynong when the track is officially opened for training at the end of this month.
Premier of Victoria Denis Napthine will visit the 608-acre site, on Wednesday 30 July, to open what, when fully developed, will be a tier-one training facility that has the potential to train up to 1000 horses.
The opening will signal the beginning of thoroughbred activity at the site where work commenced back in August 2012.
Training at the new track has been a massive consideration in the overall master-plan of the site, with 150 acres of clear-title trainer allotments providing a unique business model for trainers. An equine-related commercial and retail precinct is planned, which will complement the racing and training activities on site.
PRC chief executive, Michael Hodge, said it was exciting to get the trainers on site in what is another significant milestone for the club.
“It is significant, because training and racing is what this whole thing is all about,” Mr Hodge said.
“It’s a major milestone and is a significant boost for our trainers, who have been disadvantaged in recent times by their temporary move to either Cranbourne or Moe. We’re looking forward to getting them on site and providing them with far superior facilities to what they were working with at Racecourse Road.”
Mr Hodge said construction of stage-one of the trainer’s allotments, the “Knight’s Court” sub-division was underway and on target for completion by the end of the year.
“BDM Constructions are now on site and the roads and services will be complete by the end of the year, which means the owners can take title to their block and start building.
The first horse should roll off those properties at the start of 2016 and that’s on track. The club is excited by the potential of the trainer allotments and what they will do for those industry participants.”
Mr Hodge said tenders closed just last week for the synthetic track component of the facility, with the preferred bidders for the two tenders, Poly-Track and Pro-Ride, to be announced in four to five weeks’ time once the club had performed its due diligence.
“That decision will be made with a view to having the preferred bidder on the ground in September-October this year with a view to completion in January next year,” Mr Hodge said.
“Our first race meeting on the synthetic will take place on 26 May 2015.”
The PRC, which is very close to unveiling its first membership package to the public, will race for the first time at its new headquarters, on turf, on Thursday 26 March 2015, with the Pakenham Cup meeting to follow a short time later on Sunday 26 April.
More than half of the 9.5-hectare turf track has been laid by Evergreen Turf in preparation for these two massive events.
