Pakenham Racecourse
Design of an incline training track for recovery and training purposes
Victoria

Racing Victoria sought to add an incline training track at Pakenham Racecourse, an hour from Melbourne.

The uphill nature of the track is less stressful for horses’ recovery and training and allows them to build greater cardio and aerobic fitness without having to train at a full gallop.

Uphill training facilities are an important part of the training repertoire for racehorses and are popular with horse trainers here in Australia and the UK.

SPORTENG designed a boomerang-shaped track, just under 1.5km, with an elevation change of 10m incline over the length of the track.

There are 3 grade changes along the track, which gets steeper as the horses reach the end. SPORTENG specified a balanced cut and filled on the greenfield site to create a gentle incline, along with an extensive drainage and irrigation system fed from a dam within the racecourse boundary.

The natural turf track uses a cool season grass suited to the region and was chosen to withstand the hard-wearing nature of horse racing while supporting healthy turf growth.

The elongated training and recovery track at Pakenham Racecourse is a great asset for the facility and the trainers who work there. It provides an all-weather training track, which reduces traffic and wear on the main racecourse, while providing a world-class training facility for the region.

Minister for Racing Anthony Carbines said: “Pakenham Racing Club is a valuable racing venue for the south-east — that’s why we are backing in these works to ensure the course continues to have world-class facilities for the growing number of trainers and horses.”

Pakenham Racing Club Chief Executive Officer Blair Odgers said: “The new training trot track is a much-needed facility, and we thank the Victorian Government for continuing to support the club and the growth of the racing industry in Pakenham.”

Sources: Further enhancement to training facilities at Pakenham