After 18 months of development and a $10 million investment, horses have finally hit the new synthetic track at the Ballarat Turf Club.
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Alexander Racing jockey Neil Farley was the first to get out onto the all-weather synthetic track. Farley was impressed with how it felt but noted that it would take some time to adjust to.
"It felt really good, you can hardly hear the footsteps," he said.
See Neil Farley out on the new track:
"The horses seemed to react well to it, it's going to take a little bit of getting used to. It's going to be a big help, it's a nice big galloping track, it's a big asset for Ballarat trainers."
Ballarat Turf Club CEO Lachlan McKenzie said it was very exciting to finally see horses out galloping on the track after the long wait.
"It feels a bit like getting the keys to a new house," he laughed.
"The jockeys have said it's got a fair bit of give without being too soft and rode like a soft track without the kick-back issues of some other soft turf tracks which is really pleasing."
McKenzie noted that the all-weather facilities will be a great asset for local trainers through the though Ballarat winters.
"To have a track like this available six days a week is a huge boost for our trainers. To be able to work the horses at this facility regardless of the weather conditions is fantastic."