The condition of the redeveloped Elwick thoroughbred track continues to improve as expected.
We have seen good improvement between the 20 October race meeting, the 2 November meeting, the 14 November meeting and we expect further significant improvement for the 28 November meeting.
There will still be some kick-back but this should be much less than the last meeting.
Importantly, the track is exactly where Tasracing expected it to be given its past performance, the type of renovation undertaken, the poor spring weather experienced in southern Tasmania and its age.
The track continues to be in a better position than it was at this time last year and, as noted previously, will continue to improve. Tasracing still expects that it will be at optimum condition through December and across the Summer Carnival in the New Year.
Ongoing maintenance and management practices for the Elwick track have been carried out in line with the Monteith report recommendations and with technical advice from SportsTurf, advisors to Flemington and Moonee Valley, and Strathayr.
Also as noted previously there were some development issues identified with the track (identified in the Monteith Report) that required a heavy renovation to be undertaken in order to place the track in a better long-term position to achieve sustainability.
All critical works carried out at the recent annual renovation have been completed to plan, and the track continues to recover well.
The maintenance program continues to be a key focus and is regularly evaluated and audited, while consulting with industry experts to ensure actions remain relevant and current.
With the good temperatures experienced this week, the root system has improved significantly as was expected. The system will continue to develop and provide improved turf anchorage as temperatures are more consistent and stable moving forward. The temperatures have also assisted increases in turf density.
