Breeding & Racing Magazine

Carnival Racing To Continue During Randwick Rebuild

The Australian Turf Club announced that Sydney's Autumn & Spring Carnival racing will continue at Royal Randwick next year "during the $150m construction of world class new facilities". The ATC Board decided keeping major Sydney Carnival feature races (including the Gr1 Doncaster Mile, Gr1 AJC Australian Derby & Gr1 Epsom Handicap) & 10 supporting meetings at Royal Randwick during 2012 "was the best option for all stake-holders during the estimated 16 months of construction." A revised Sydney Spring Carnival racing program was also announced "confirming the ATC's vision to enhance the current Spring Carnival & ultimately stage 4 consecutive Gr1 race days across Rosehill Gardens & Royal Randwick during Spring, subject to ARB Pattern Committee approval". Meanwhile work on the "new grandstand & theatre of the horse is planned to begin at Royal Randwick during November this year & is expected to be completed during March 2013, in time for Sydney Carnival; to assist in completing construction prior to Autumn Carnival 2013, 19 Saturday & 26 mid-week meetings will be run at other ATC & some provincial tracks, subject to Racing NSW approval". ATC chairman John Cornish noted: "This is perhaps the largest sporting construction project seen in Sydney since the 2000 Olympic Games. Obviously construction of this magnitude will cause some inconvenience, but we believe this approach has minimised disruption to the widest cross section of our stake-holders while helping to prepare the Club for an exciting future in the shortest possible time."