The project will significantly increase the depth of the surface material, making the 1400m track more suitable for fast work.

BTC chief executive officer Belinda Glass said increasing the height of concrete edging was a key component of the project.

She said this was required to allow the depth of the all-weather surface to be topped up from 50mm to 150mm.

The height of the running rail will also be raised.

Glass said the upgrade would mean the training surface replicated the BTC's Polytrack racetrack.

The uphill track was opened in 2011 and Glass said the original profile had reach the end of its life.

She said as it had begun to show wear and tear the number of horses using had fallen away.

Glass said the project was responding to the needs of Ballarat's growing training complex.

She said while it had remained relevant to the conditioning of horses, it had no longer been suitable for fast work.

Glass said 450 to 480 horses were still using it on a weekly basis, but this would increase to close to 700 - where it was about two years ago - once works were completed.

MEANWHILE, the BTC is constructing another new stabling complex on-track at Dowling Forest.

The new facility replaces an old barn once occupied by Aquanita Racing.

Glass said the project would cater for two trainers, with barns and outdoor yards for 40 horses, as well as ancillary assets such as treadmills and sandrolls.

Ballarat has built a series of on-course stable complexes over the past decade to allow for Matt Cumani, Mitch Freedman, Tony and calvin McEvoy and Andrew Noblet to make Ballarat home. Nigel Blackiston also taken over the occupancy of a boutique facility in the same time span.