Inside Track: Gosforth Park turf gets break after Plate

Jul 18 2008 The Journal

THE turf at Gosforth Park is currently enjoying its much needed break before the next busy spell starts with Ladies Day on Saturday, July 26.

Since the John Smith’s Northumberland Plate Festival we have had nearly three inches of rain that has assisted, along with some summer sun, to repair the damage caused on the testing Plate ground.

We have carried out ‘sand-injection’ work to assist in draining areas of the course vulnerable to easing in heavy rain. We use a machine to directly place sand into a two-inch furrow at a depth of nine inches to connect the racing surface to drains below.

This is an efficient, less disruptive, way of doing drainage work without displacing soil, and it means that one can race over the area within a day of the work being carried out, unlike major excavation work.

The effects of the work probably do not last as long as more major work but, during a busy summer, it is the only way to carry out work without disrupting the schedule of racing and having to alter race distances to allow ground to recover.

This week we have contracted in a ‘Verti-drainer’ to treat the entire Flat course. This machine, mounted on a tractor, uses solid tines that are forced up to 12 inches into the course.

The action of the machine creates ‘heave’ which helps level up the racing surface. The result is lots of inch-wide holes being left on the surface which helps aerate the soil, assist with grass root downward growth adding to stability of the turf structure. It also alleviates compaction in the soil while leaving an even surface.

Areas of worn ground short of grass through general wear have been ‘direct drilled’ with seed to help with the grass sward. Thanks to current weather conditions the track has sprung into life and is almost in better condition than it was for the Plate meeting, which seems incredible considering the pounding it got from 224 horses over three days at the end of June. Every chance has been given to ensure the track holds out for the next busy stage leading up to September. Let’s hope for healthy field sizes and competitive racing.

JAMES Armstrong is clerk of the course at Newcastle Racecourse.