GOSFORD’S The Entertainment Grounds will “entertain” racing again in February after what will be a nine months’ hiatus.
And club chief executive Daniel Lacey is looking forward to a bumper 2025, fervent in his hope that the “weather gods” will finally shine.
Major works have now been completed at a new look Gosford, but unfortunately wet weather has robbed the club of the opportunity to conduct its always successful Christmas holiday period meetings, meaning a Saturday, February 22 date has been inked for racing’s return at the popular Central Coast track.
“Surely 2025 will bring us far better luck in regard to good weather,” Lacey said.
“Our major The Coast meeting on May 11 this year had to be transferred to Newcastle because of the rain, and then we were able to run our last meeting five days later on a heavy surface.
“We closed down racing-wise after that, and work began on a major project on Monday May 20, but a week later the heavens opened and really delayed progress.
“It’s been a very difficult time with interruptions because of rain, and that has meant we won’t be ready to resume racing until the Saturday date in February.
“Our Provincial-Midway Championships Qualifier is scheduled not long after that on Saturday, March 15.”
In a joint venture between Gosford Race Club and RacingNSW at a cost of $2m, the home turn has been cambered to a gradient of 6 per cent to maximise competitive racing, along with remediation of the reverse camber in the straight and removal of undulations in the track.
“RacingNSW chairman of stewards Steve Railton inspected the track last Friday, and was very happy with everything,” Lacey said.
“But we’re certainly not going to risk racing on it too early, even though it’s obviously so disappointing to lose our meetings over the Christmas-New Year period which always attract a lot of holidaymakers on the Coast.
“We will ask leading Sydney jockeys Tim Clark and Josh Parr, both based on the Central Coast, to come and ride some work just to be sure everything is right for our February 22 resumption.”
Gosford also will unveil a new parade ring (artist impression above)
when racing returns in February.
“We had to complete the works to enable the safe movement of horses from our day stalls to the tracks on training days,” Lacey explained.
“We have widened the path to 6m (fence to fence) to allow for a two-way movement, and the horses can then wait in the parade ring until able to cross the track.
“Previously the path and holding area were not enclosed by fencing/barriers.
“This additional project was essential to allow the expansion of training at Gosford when the new stables come online.
. Despite the loss of the holiday meetings, two of Gosford’s feature events will still be run – but at Wyong.
The $300,000 Group 3 Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m) for fillies and mares, and $200,000 Listed Gosford Guineas (1200m) for three-year-olds, along with the balance of the program scheduled for Sunday, December 29, will now be held at Wyong on Tuesday, December 31.
Gosford also was to have raced on New Year’s Eve, and Port Macquarie will now take the date.
Additionally, the Gosford meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 19 has been transferred to Newcastle and will be held on the Beaumont track, and Newcastle’s Beaumont meeting on Saturday, December 14 has been switched to the course proper.
Story John Curtis, November 22, 2024 - Pics supplied
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