Gold Coast turf track return delayed until new racing season

The troubled Gold Coast turf racing surface is expected to be given at least until the 2024/25 racing season to be tested under raceday conditions after the decision was made to pull the pin on the inaugural night meeting which featured a new $1 million Magic Millions race.

The new lights, which were destined to be used for the first time at the May 24 meeting, were given their first major test on Wednesday night, and while they passed with flying colours, the track flunked the audition.

The turf track hasn’t been raced on since the Aquis Jewel meeting in March, when it was heavily criticised for having significant kickback. The newly renovated track had previously been sandgrooved following the Magic Millions feature meeting in January, but that, plus a wet Queensland summer and autumn, meant the grass growth hadn’t been sufficient.

The problems have persisted, and two weeks ago, Racing Queensland was forced to shift this weekend’s feature Hollindale Stakes meeting to the Sunshine Coast.

That came only two days after Nevesh Ramdhani, who had overseen the track refurbishment, quit as the Gold Coast Turf Club track manager to take up a position with the Australian Turf Club.

Gold Coast loses Hollindale Stakes meeting as track debacle continues

The Group 2 Hollindale Stakes meeting will be run at the Sunshine Coast as the Gold Coast course proper remains closed for racing.

The StraightWarwick Barr

The opening Friday night meeting at the track on May 24 was to be a major milestone moment for the $63 million track and lights refurbishment, as it led into the Magic Millions National Sale, which is to be staged across the road.

The meeting’s feature was to be the inaugural $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic, which will now be moved to Doomben the following day. The other races on the card will be shuffled around.

Several horses tested out the turf track under the lights this week, but The Straight understands that while there was more positive feedback than there had been previously, it is still short of the standard both Racing Queensland and the Gold Coast Turf Club desire.

The Gold Coast polytrack, which has carried the load over the past 15 months during the turf track’s refurbishment, will continue to host the regular Saturday meetings.

The next scheduled turf track meeting after May 24 was to be July 13, but it is understood that will be switched back to the poly, with a date in August to be considered for the next turf meeting. However, deciding when that happens won’t be made until the track is deemed suitable for racing.

While the protracted nature of the issue has caused some tension between the various stakeholders in the project, one source said they were confident it wouldn’t become ‘Eagle Farm 2.0’, a reference to the years-long issues which blighted the Brisbane racecourse last decade.

Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch told The Straight that while it was disappointing the track wouldn’t be ready to host the inaugural Magic Millions National 2YO Classic, the long-term vision was still on track.

“We are gutted that in this circumstance we can’t run our new feature winter race under lights, but I think it’s important to give the participants the best possible outcome, which in this circumstance is giving this track time to mature and be ready to race on and be perfect,” he said.

Ramdhani resigns as Gold Coast track manager, replaces Ross at Australian Turf Club

The Australian Turf Club has appointed former racecourse general manager Nevesh Ramdhani as head of its racing and wagering division.

The StraightWarwick Barr

Bowditch was present on Wednesday night as the lights and track were put their paces, and said it gave him a real sense of what the new-look 2025 Magic Millions carnival in January may look like.

“We’re looking forward to running our $20 million of races in 24 hours in 2025,” he said.

“As disappointing as it is to miss the one, when we’ve got all our participants up here for the national sale and to kick it all off, I think what’s important to us is having that January carnival at its perfection and I’ve got every confidence that the team that both the Turf Club and Racing Queensland have around them that, that’ll be the case.

“It was great to see those horses go out there last night and from the feedback I heard out of jockeys’ mouths, it continues to improve.”