Club’s Tynong racing plan revealed

By Justin Robertson
PAKENHAM Racing Club members last week got their first look at the blueprint for their new world-class development at Tynong.
The planned $688 million thoroughbred racing and training venue at Tynong was revealed during a 50-minute presentation at the club on Friday night with a computerised view of the track, a 60ha (150 acres) training section and space for a top-tier synthetic all-weather racing and training track.
The 242ha (608 acres) Tynong development may be home to a brand-new synthetic surface during stage one of the developments.
Initially, developing a synthetic track was not going to be part of Pakenham’s first-stage development, but Pakenham Racing Club chief executive Michael Hodge confirmed Inside Racing reports that the club intended to put a proposal to Racing Victoria for assistance with funding a synthetic track. If the proposal is received favourably, Pakenham would incorporate a synthetic track in the first stage.
While a decision is yet to made about the synthetic surface, Racing Victoria’s Paul Bittar said in the November issue of Inside Racing that it was looking to build a second track, similar to the one that saved Geelong’s race track.
Bittar also mentioned that Racing Victoria was gunning for a track in the northern part of the state, but that its attention had turned to Pakenham as a potential opportunity for a new synthetic track by 2012.
The Tynong racecourse will feature a 2400m grass racetrack, night racing capabilities, as well as customised race day facilities that will double as a leading conference and function venue on non-race days.
Hodge said a synthetic surface would enhance the new racecourse – which will be bigger than Flemington – and it could then be classed as a top-tier racing track.
“The synthetic track provides another new opportunity in racing and it enhances the capability of the venue in training,” he said.
“To be a serious tier-one venue you need a synthetic track.
A new synthetic surface is valued at $4.9 million.
Hodge said, construction of the new racecourse would start next March with a scheduled completion date in 2013.