THE Entertainment Grounds is well and truly on the move.
Not only has Gosford’s “new” track proven a winner after being out of action for nine months whilst major works were undertaken, but plans have moved an important step closer to doubling stabling accommodation.
There were plaudits all round after the first meeting back on February 22 – and that was despite overnight rain before the day and again on race morning.
“We could not have been happier with how the track raced,” said Gosford Race Club chief executive Daniel Lacey.
“Jockeys were lavish in their praise of the new home turn camber along with remediation of the old reverse camber in the home straight and removal of undulations in the track.
“In regard to the re-cambering, there was no better example than the last race when Oryx finished strongly to be narrowly beaten.
“He drew the outside in a field of 10, had to race wide throughout and was very wide on the home turn.
“If that race had been on the old track, there’s no way Oryx would have been able to finish as close as he did.
“The track in general raced particularly well, and was upgraded for the last two races.
“There’s no doubt waiting as long as we did to begin racing again was the right move.”
Gosford now is looking forward to its Provincial-Midway Championships Qualifier (1200m) on Saturday week.
The first two placegetters will automatically win places in the field for the $1m Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12 (Day 2 of The Championships).
And then there are not many meetings until the club’s biggest day – the May 10 Saturday stand-alone metropolitan fixture, which features the $500,000 The Coast (1600m).
Also featuring the Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2100m) and Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m), the meeting had to be transferred to Newcastle last year as a result of heavy rain.
Meanwhile, a development application has been lodged with Gosford City Council to construct new stabling close to the racecourse.
“RacingNSW now owns the site where the stables will be built just across the road from the track,” Lacey said.
“There is provision for some 120 stables, and it will be a major boost for racing here.
“Currently we have 90 stables, so this will more than double the horse population.”
. Gosford trainers Greg McFarlane and Jake Hull have kept the local flag flying in recent weeks.
McFarlane has struck a purple patch, and has now won 13 races this season.
He scored twice with his smart three-year-old filly Bremel, who impressively broke through in a 2&3YO Maiden Plate (1000m) at Hawkesbury on February 12, and then easily took a Provincial Class 1 Handicap (1000m) at Kembla Grange last Tuesday.
He backed up by winning a further two races last Saturday – one at Newcastle with Capital Dancer (Jean Van Overmeire) in the 2&3YO Maiden Handicap (900m), and the other at Tuncurry with Sweet Bubbles (Jon Grisedale) in the Maiden Handicap (1400m).
Hull brought off a superb training performance at Coffs Harbour yesterday with newcomer Externus ($7.50) to post his seventh winner for the season.
Having his first start for him and ridden by Ben Looker, the five-year-old gelding won the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m).
Externus responded gamely to edge out Raised By Wolves ($10), who looked certain to win when he burst through near the inside in the closing stages.
Externus had not started since Grafton’s July carnival last year when he finished down the course in a Class 2 Handicap (1600m).
RacingNSW stewards reported the gelding was slow to recover after that race and exhibited an abnormal respiratory noise.
Story John Curtis, March 3, 2025
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