gentle cutting regime begins to encourage tillering and shoot density as quickly as possible. Fertiliser is applied every six weeks in summer with an autumn and winter granular grade applied in October. The course uses up to 300 tonnes of 50/50 root-zone mixture a season for divot work, which takes place after every meeting in conjunction with slitting and seeding. Decompaction and deep aeration is dealt with by Verti- Drain, which takes three weeks to complete. This year a rotary decompacter has been hired in and used in front of and behind the jumps and on the bends. Graig is very impressed at the ability of this machine to follow the curvature of the course perfectly whilst relieving heavy compaction very effectively. Soil types vary from almost pure sand on the back straight to heavy sandy clay loam on the home straight. No wetting agents are used at Sandown and, during May, the course is sprayed for annual weeds by a contractor.
In 2000-2003 a piped drainage system was installed on 30% of the course and has made a huge difference to racing in poor weather conditions. In dry periods and prior to some races, boom sprayers are used to apply water for up 20 hours a day to improve conditions.
Grass cutting height is
maintained at 100-125 mm for the Jumps and 100-112mm for Flat racing. Cutting takes place twice a week in autumn and spring and three times a week in summer. Sandown Race Course is a
credit to Graig Williamson and his dedicated team of Groundsmen, being beautifully maintained and presented. The setting of this course is truly wonderful and it is easy to see why a venue such as this is a magnet to racing enthusiasts worldwide.
weeks are a normality and dedication to, and enthusiasm for, the sport is an essential requirement”
“Seven day working
I couldn’t help noticing another contempory anonymous quotation from the very early days at Sandown in 1879 “A place where a man could take his ladies without fear of their hearing coarse language or witnessing uncouth behaviour.” Some things never change!
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