Track issues rectified: club

Mt Barker Turf Club officials have declared their track fit to race on for their biggest meeting of the season on January 20, which features the $100,000 Mungrup Stud Sprint.

The club lost its scheduled third meeting of the season this week.

Racing and Wagering WA stewards were not satisfied with a dry area of the track roughly 100m past the winning post and made the decision to move tomorrow’s meeting to Albany on Monday.

With the MBTC’s annual Grapes and Gallops meeting, which attracts thousands, just 10 days away, the club was confident the problems would be fixed in time.

MTBC vice-president Dot St Jack confirmed the problem had been resolved and watering had been increased in an effort to have the track back in tip-top shape.

“It will be right for the 20th,” St Jack said.

“A solenoid failed in the reticulation and when it was picked up there had been hot weather on (the track).

“As of (Tuesday) we have pumped about 6000 litres of water around the whole track and another 6000 litres was set to go on the dry area again. We are very confident it will be right.”

St Jack said the club was grateful to the Shire of Plantagenet for its support in resolving the issues.

“The Shire has done an exceptional job in helping us,” she said.

“They’ve done their utmost in getting water onto the track and they are checking over all the sprinklers to make sure they are working properly.”

The loss of another meeting is the latest in a number of track problems the club has dealt with over the past few years, with a meeting last season lost due to a waterlogging in the home straight.

A final track inspection, that will ultimately determine the fate of the Grapes and Gallops feature meeting, is set down for next Monday.

Albany Racing Club will hold the transferred seven-race card from Mt Barker tomorrow, beginning at 1.45pm, making it the club’s second meeting in six days.