Perth in good shape

PERTH Racecourse is gearing up for its traditional season opener, The Perth Festival from April 26-28.

It has installed a £250,000 irrigation system for the provision of a safe and consistent racing surface.

And it has also announced an impressive average increase to its daily prize funds of 10%, while offering at least £70,000 prize money at six of its 15 fixtures for the first time.

As a top priority, the entire irrigation system has been completely replaced over the winter, an arduous task in testing conditions.

Course chief executive Hazel Peplinksi described the resulting enhancement as “beyond compare” with the purchase of two state-of-the-art Briggs hosewheel irrigators, a variable-speed pump system extracting fresh water straight from the River Tay and the installation of a ring main around the entire inner perimeter of the track.

She added: “With this substantial investment we can now be far more flexible in the application of any artificial irrigation to the racing surface which is so important when dealing with the vagaries of a Scottish summertime.

“In an instant, we have reduced the time it takes to complete an irrigation cycle by 500% which shall allow us to work with the weather forecasts rather than have to second guess them.

“The old system limited us to applying 8-10mm at a time, which meant that, on occasions, we were forced to apply more water than we actually required which is poor husbandry on so many levels, potentially l eading to i nconsistent ground.

“This new system is like night and day and we are very excited because ground conditions are everything when it comes to staging successful summer jumping.”

With its on-site state-of-the-art stabling, staff accommodation and morning exercise facilities, Perth enjoyed an 18% increase in number of runners last year.

Hazel continued: “We pride ourselves in offering some of the best National Hunt racing in Scotland and have become increasingly on the radar of top owners and trainers across the UK.

“With the new irrigation system, further increase in prize money and wonderful equine facilities for both horses and staff, we are going in to the 2017 season very much on the front foot.”

TODAY’S meeting at Newton Abbot has been abandoned due to the waterlogged state of the course.

Perth racecourse is looking ahead to another bumper season of National Hunt racing.