Later trackwork times to be trialled at Flemington

Trackwork at Flemington will be pushed back by half an hour, starting at 4.30am, under a trial agreed to by the Victoria Racing Club and trainers on Thursday.

The trial of later start times will be extended to 5am after the spring as the VRC works to alleviate issues concerning its own workforce caused by the changes.

It’s because of those concerns a proposal to open of the track at 6am was rejected.

Flemington-based trainer and Australian Trainers Association president Troy Corstens welcomed the cooperation of the VRC.

“For 30 years I’ve been pushing for later starts in horse racing trackwork. Part of it is personal. Getting up to work horses in the middle of the night is bloody hard,” Corstens wrote.

“But the bigger reason is that those early starts quietly close the door on a whole range of people who might otherwise fall in love with this sport. Not everyone can, or wants to, be at the track before dawn.

“This morning we made some real progress.”

Corstens, who trains in partnership with his father Leon and Will Larkin, will implement a 6am start for his Malua Racing operation irrespective of the 4.30am start available to all Flemington stables.

“I know there are huge differences of opinion on this, and getting every trainer to agree on a start time is close to impossible. But I’d rather we try and learn something than leave it where it has always been,” he said.

“If a slightly later start helps bring a new generation into our great industry, it will have been worth it.”