Grass track racing to return to Timaru

Timaru Harness Racing Club president Gary Moir has got April 2 circled on his calendar - and he can't wait.

"It's going to be a bit of history isn't it?," he says.

The reason for his excitement is that it's been agreed that the club will hold its first meeting on the grass track usually reserved for the gallopers at Phar Lap Raceway.

Records show there hasn't been grass track racing at Timaru since the original track was turned into an all-weather (grit) one in the late 1960s.

"It's something different," says Moir, "we have seen how popular grass track racing is around the country and we have been keen to give it a go."

After many discussions with Harness Racing New Zealand and other parties the midweek April 2 date was sealed and Moir is confident the gallops track will cope with the sulkies just fine.

"The pylons will be set out three metres and the gallops don't race there till June so we will be all good."

"Historically weather wise it is also one of the better times of the year and anyway we had 40 mils of rain the other day and you would have known - the surface was perfect."

Eight races have been programmed for the Wednesday meeting.

"We are hopeful there will still be some good grass trackers wanting to race in April," says Moir, "the likes of the Dunns and Hopes and others."
 
"It's what they call an "industry day" but we think it will get some good support."