HRV Chairman Ken Latta, Horsham president Justin Lane, Racing Minister Martin Pakula and Horsham Mayor Heather Phillips kick off the Horsham track upgrade on Monday.
Harness racing in the Wimmera will receive an enormous boost thanks to a $470,000 track upgrade funded by the Andrews Labor Government, Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) and the Horsham and District Harness Racing Club.
Minister for Racing Martin Pakula joined HRV Chairman Ken Latta, Horsham president Justin Lane and Horsham Mayor Heather Phillips at the club on Monday to kick off the major upgrade, which will see a sprint lane introduced, increased camber around the turns to reduce the risk of leg injuries to horses, and a track resurface with finer grade materials for improved cushioning underfoot for the horses.
HRV CEO John Anderson acknowledged the State Government funding for the upgrade and said the Horsham club would benefit greatly.
“Harness racing at Horsham will be safer for the horses and better for the punters thanks to the upgrade, which includes the addition of a sprint lane,” Mr Anderson said.
“The Horsham club and HRV would like to publicly acknowledge the important funding from the Andrews Labor Government courtesy of the Victorian Racing Industry Fund.
“Improvements such as the track upgrade at Horsham are vital for not only the local areas, but also for the Victorian industry in general.”
In announcing the funding Mr Pakula said: “Today represents the first step towards creating a cutting edge track for Horsham and helping secure the future of harness racing in the Wimmera for many years to come.”
Mr Pakula added: “Not only will these upgrades bring the track in line with other top harness tracks in the state it also reflects our commitment to animal welfare by improving the track to help reduce risks of leg injuries.”
Association of Victorian Country Harness Racing Clubs CEO David Brick said country clubs aimed to produce the best tracks possible for racing.
“Our club network prides itself on the quality of racetracks produced to ensure safe, fair and fast racing,” Mr Brick said.
“The Horsham upgrade, like Mildura before it, ensures that Victorian harness racing collectively offers the best harness racing in Australia.”
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