The Illawarra Turf Club is proud to have successfully conducted its first race meeting on the new Illawarra Grange track.
The $8 million facility, funded by Racing NSW, has been more than two years in the making and undergone extensive gallop testing and trials to ensure it was in top condition.
The feedback about the new surface has been all positive with winners leading and coming from the back and taking runs on the fence and wider on the track.
View reel of the first race meeting on the Illawarra Grange track here.
Above The Law (Dylan Gibbons) had the honour of being the very first winner on the new Illawarra Grange track, giving a good kick in the straight to claim the race for local trainers Mitch Beer and George Carpenter.
“The month I moved here (from Albury to Kembla Grange) was when they started ripping it up and tearing it down,” Mitch Beer said. “I’ve seen the project from start to finish, first with Dave Anderson before he moved to Randwick to the current crew who are doing a fantastic job. It’s a credit to the club. I can see a large number of meetings getting moved here because of the way it will cope with the rain and that’s good for everyone.”
Other winners at the inaugural race meeting included:
Whoa Nellie for Brad Widdup & Tyler Schiller
Tequisoda for Brad Widdup & Christian Reith
Audenzia for Diane Poidevin Laine & Pierre Boudvillain
Chix for Tom Charlton & Dylan Gibbons
Zounaka for John Thompson & Dylan Gibbons
The ITC extends its sincere congratulations to the connections of these horses and thanks everyone who was a part of the day.
