Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand has quietly seen a new initiative that will have long ranging improvements of racehorse preparation and winter racing surfaces.

Racing has received significant government funding from the Provincial Growth Fund, to install synthetic tracks at Cambridge, Palmerston North and Riccarton Park in the South Island.

The new synthetic surface at Cambridge, opened earlier this year, changed the face of racing in the country forever, with a race meeting held for the first time on the site of one of the biggest horse training facilities in the country.

Cambridge's new track will not be utilised for major weekend meetings, but used for mid-week industry meetings in the winter months.

This will help take the load off other northern tracks that struggle under wet conditions during the winter.

The new track, which is the first built in the country for many years, has the advantage of being purpose built.

Around 2000m with sweeping bends cambered about six degrees, saw constraints of property boundaries necessitating a short home straight, which has been accomplished with the cambered bends.

Just last week, the benefits of racing on synthetic surfaces were obvious on Trackside TV, with a mid-week race meeting from the Cambridge course being screened on TV.

With the weather on the day raining 'cats and dogs', the track rating remained a Good 4 throughout the program.

New Zealand's second synthetic track opened in early August at Riccarton Park in Christchurch.

The new surface will be bedded down with regular daily track work before trials meetings are held on the new track.

While not cheap at the other side of $13 million, the synthetic track has fitted neatly inside the Riccarton grass track, which has seen racing dating back to the 1850's.

At this stage, racing dates have been set to begin in May.

Construction of the third synthetic surface at Awapuni is scheduled, Covid 19 allowing, to begin in November this year.

There was plenty of thought given to the location of the three synthetic racetracks.

All three sit in the centres of racehorse numbers within the ranks of the country's racehorse trainers.

The foresight of the thoroughbred racing industry is likely to pay big dividends in the future, with grass tracks being able to be better managed in winter, with synthetic tracks hosting a growing number of low key race meetings.

P.S. last weekends Ranfurly Shield Challenge

One minute remaining in the match: Bay of Plenty Steamers 33, Hawke's Bay 30.

Fulltime: Bay of Plenty Steamers 33, Hawke's Bay 33.

Extra time shootout: Hawke's Bay 36, Bay of Plenty Steamers 33.

Oh dear, how sad, move on to next weeks NPC Steamers game.