With the new plastic rail are, front to back, Dan Mawby, Phil Hawkes, Simon Hodgson, Leigh Taylor, Warren Logan and Martin Prosser. 20526
By Glen Atwell
CRANBOURNE Training Centre will swap steel for synthetic when a plastic running rail is installed to improve safety for jockeys and horses.
Two thousand metres of plastic rail will replace the inside running rail on the track at the Cranbourne Training Complex.
The new running rail, being installed this week, will not fracture when impacted, and features no steel above the ground.
Installation is expected to be completed by Monday 21 July and the plastic running rail will have its first test run when trials are held at the track on 1 August.
Nearby Sandown Racecourse will also be given a plastic makeover immediately following Cranbourne’s facelift.
Sandown will be the first race track in Victoria with plastic rails when 3000m is installed, with Cranbourne’s plastic swap confined to the training track only.
Racing Victoria communications manager Damian Booth said it would take four or five days to construct the plastic rail at the Cranbourne training track.
“The next trials at Cranbourne are scheduled for 1 August, so that’s when they will be put to use,” he said.
Mr Booth also confirmed that Sandown Racecourse would be the next track to swap to plastic.
Cranbourne Turf Club chief executive Neil Bainbridge said he looked forward to seeing the plastic rail in action at the training complex.
“Any initiative which improves safety for horses and riders is welcome,” he said.
Victorian Jockeys’ Association (VJA) chief executive Des O’Keefe said jockeys were delighted at the prospect of the improved safety measures.
“The VJA has been directly involved in the running rail and upright review process over the past couple of years and we fully support the introduction of the RVL-designed plastic running rail and the implementation process currently being proposed,” he said.
“We are satisfied the new rail and upright will improve jockey safety and will be ideal for Australian racing conditions, which require regular rail movement without damaging the track profile.”
Cranbourne trainer Colin Alderson said he looked forward to finding out more about the new plastic rail.
“I don’t know much about it, I’ll have a look when it’s up and running,” he said.
