Annual track renovation in full swing New

Date: 11-Sep-2025

FREELAND’S win in the final event on Tuesday brought the curtain down on another 12 months of racing at Ipswich and heralded the start of the club’s annual track renovation.

No sooner had Justin Huxtable brought the Chris and Corey Munce-trained Freeland back to scale, than the mowers were out on the course proper stripping back the turf as the renovation is rolled out.

Work actually started on the inside 10m section a few days before Wednesday’s meeting, giving it extra time to recover and be ready for the return to racing on October 17.

Track Manager Sean Tou and his team will roll out with military like precision over the next few days a tried and true formula, which has had the track racing brilliantly since the renovation done two years ago.

Firstly the grass is mowed to a level of around 30mm, then it is cored and scarified, to rid the surface area of troublesome thatch build up, then sand is applied and swept in, before the vertidrain machine punches holes in the ground that helps water flow through the profile.

Fertilisers will be applied early next week and then it’s up to Mother Nature to do her thing, helping the track to flourish during the next month and have a fantastic surface ready for a heavy schedule of spring and summer racing.

The club is proud of the efforts of Tou and his team over the past 12 months, with the track standing up to not only a rigorous racing schedule, but also some severe weather events.

Even on the last day before the renovation, the track raced in outstanding order, continuing the trend of it being one of the best racing surfaces in the entire state.

Earlier, Group 1 winning Melbourne jockey Daniel Moor made a successful start to his new life in Queensland when partnering the Desleigh Forster-trained Kickuphigh to win the Gordon’s Gin Maiden Plate at big odds ($19), upsetting Chicago King ($5) and the $1.35 favourite Some Style.

Barry Lockwood produced a smart debutant in the shape of Notocar, who came from last in a leisurely run race to win by almost 2 lengths for jockey Luke Dempsey.

The Munce stable enjoyed training honours on the day, with Freeland completing a winning double after Chamierrio was impressive winning the Class 1 Handicap with Martin Harley aboard.

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