Following the postponement of the introduction of the loop arm lure in August, Tasracing engaged a senior civil/structural engineer to provide advice and design parameters of a loop arm and a lure which will not impose undue stress on the running rail and lure carriages.
The process, which was due to be completed by mid-October, has unfortunately taken slightly longer than first anticipated due to the first design not reducing the amount of vibration to an acceptable level.
The design of the new loop arm, which comprises a new connecting system to the lure carriage together with shock absorber plates and is not as wide and slightly lower, has now been tested with vibration now considered minimal. Although lower, the arm will still pass over a greyhound.
The attention now focuses on the design of the “lure” to affix on the end of the loop arm and this will be progressed and tested in the next few weeks.
Focus is also on the design of a lure arm which will be suitable for run-on trials which will feature a material that cannot hold water, a problem which needs to be overcome to reduce the stresses on the equipment, especially in wet weather.
As soon as a lure design has passed the appropriate testing, it will be presented to industry for evaluation during a period of testing in trials.
Tasracing appreciates that this process has taken longer than originally proposed, but is determined to ensure that the product when it is introduced will be suitable and safe for both participants and greyhounds.