Fans Urged To Send Off 'old' Randwick
- Friday, 04 November 2011 06:00
Sydneysiders have been urged to head to Randwick on Saturday as the curtain comes down on the "old" racecourse before a major transformation.
Randwick is about undergo a $150 million redevelopment with work to start after Saturday's 'Grandstand Finish' meeting.
Australian Turf Club chief executive Darren Pearce is hoping for a 15,000-strong crowd.
"It's a special promotion, we've done a lot of incentives to get people trackside and we're certainly making it a day that members and guests will want to be here to celebrate the final day at Randwick before it's redeveloped," Pearce said.
"We're hopeful of a crowd north of 10,000. Our wish is 15,000."
Not only will it be an historic day at Randwick, but the action at Flemington and Black Caviar's attempt at 16 straight wins in the Patinack Farm Classic will be shown on giant screens which could also have a positive impact on the Sydney roll-up.
"I've noticed that when Black Caviar races, that even in Sydney there's a number of people if they can't get to Melbourne that they'd still rather be at a racetrack environment to cheer her on with a crowd," Pearce said.
Part of Saturday's celebrations will be the burying of a Royal Randwick time capsule in the racecourse grounds, with the capsule containing memorabilia including Saturday's racebook.
The capsule will be opened in 50 years' time.
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and racing minister George Souris will be at Randwick and Souris has called on Sydneysiders to flock to the course.
"I encourage absolutely everybody, especially those who may never have been to Royal Randwick, to take part in the `Grandstand Finish' race day and bid farewell to the old racecourse," Souris said.
The transformation includes a state-of-the-art multi-purpose grandstand and the creation of a "Theatre of the Horse" parade ring behind the stand.
The Theatre of the Horse will accommodate 4500 spectators to watch the pre-race parade before the horses head through a tunnel and out onto the track.
Redevelopment works will continue through to autumn 2013.
During the redevelopment the ATC will still stage 17 meetings at Randwick including the major race days at next year's autumn and spring carnivals.
The ATC is also embarking on the first steps of a $285 million, five-year master plan at Warwick Farm in Sydney's southwest and work has also begun on part of a $24 million upgrade of access facilities to Rosehill.
