FEATURE STORY
“Each morning we go and measure all the surfaces. We get feedback from all the trainers and riders on how the tracks are riding. All of the tracks require different maintenance at all times of the year and we try to present them at 100 per cent every day in any type of weather condition.” O’Keeffe said the synthetic tracks require a lot of maintenance during winter when the weather is colder as the track firms up and conversely when it is hot in summer it tended to soften up. The new Gallop Track, however, is designed to handle these weather scenarios. Supervising the installation and laying of the Flemington Gallop Track is Ian Pearse, known as the father of synthetic surfaces in Australia. 2021 has proven to be a momentous one for Pearse as he received a kidney transplant at the start of the year. After his health improved Pearse decided to get back into building synthetic tracks and he started a new company called Gallop Track. Pearse was the founder of Pro-Ride, the company that introduced synthetic tracks to Australia, but due to his ill health, he sold out of the business. Pearse said he has loved being involved in the installation of the Flemington track. “We see the opportunity as really exciting to be able to get back into the industry after five years off. We’ve done a few renovations at Newcastle, Lindsay Park and now the new track at Flemington. “I’ve taken the best out of what we did in Pro-Ride and I know where some of the weaknesses were so then we’ve inculcated some other technology into it. We only use a small amount of wax – we’re more of a polymer-based binding system.” “With the Gallop Track, we’ve created a system where under colder temperatures surfaces stay more flexible. We’ve added some UV stabilisers into it, so it’s got better resistance to heat and more stable under heat, but is more flexible when it’s cold.” For Flemington’s Gallop Track he said the new sand type they had sourced was a lot cleaner, which would assist in lower compaction of the surface and result in a more consistent performance over a longer period. “We’re a little bit more stable than other surfaces. We make them a little bit firmer which leads to more sure footing and a more stable surface.”
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