Equestrian
Kempton Park’s all-weather is laid out as an oval on the inside of the jumps track, overlapping after the finish post and at the end of the back straight
give a consistent result across the course. “Eventually, the material begins to
break down and the surface is given an annual audit by Professional Sportsturf Design Ltd to ensure that its composition is right, comments Barney. “We have a very good relationship with the manufacturer, which uses Kempton Park as a training academy and Martin has actually run his own horse here!” Results from the most recent audit have indicated that a top-up will be needed in 2012, rather than a simple rewaxing, which can sometimes rejuvenate an all-weather track. Some 700 tonnes of sand plus wax will be added in the summer and incorporated by the autumn at a cost of £250,000, which will give the material an extra five or six years’ lifespan. With more prestigious fixtures and trials on the calendar, all-weather racing has moved away from being the poor relation to its glitzy turf cousin. “Owners are increasingly sending higher class horses to run at Kempton Park and, from the famous colours lining up in a maiden race, you might think you are at Epsom on Derby Day!” says
Barney. “We are used for preparation races for horses heading for the Dubai racing festival, and our qualifier for the Kentucky Derby was a huge success.” Sadly, the economic climate has
restricted the opportunities for global racing challenges but, with the divide between turf and all-weather narrowing, group race winners often start their careers at Kempton, and the course offers the opportunity to spot a star in the making when young horses gallop on the all-weather before being auctioned at the Goffs Breeze-Up sales. Existing facilities were adapted to cater for the differing needs of the all-weather racing audience, with the grandstand ground floor refurbished to offer an ‘indoor racing experience’. Even when Britain shivered in sub zero temperatures for evening meetings at the beginning of February, racegoers - if not jockeys, horses or groundsmen - were able to stay warm. But, is all-weather racing snow proof?
Unlike sport on synthetic turf surfaces it would seem so, as long as horses and punters can get to the venue. “At minus 11O
C the surface is still
Take-offs and landings are routinely covered to improve footing, but covering all of the course is a bigger undertaking
raceable,” comments Barney. “We snow blade to within 25cm of the surface and then power harrow the rest in, before using the Gallop-Master to prevent the surface ‘balling’ in the horses’ feet. But, in January 2010, when we had cleared the course and the car parks, the road infrastructure around us was closed and the London Ambulance Service was stood down due to the weather, so we reluctantly had to cancel!”
Grounds team tackles turf and tasks!
Head Groundsman, Steve Gudge, and his two deputies lead a team of ten groundstaff, who multi-task between the all-weather and turf courses, ensuring continuity of coverage for holidays etc. The well-motivated team are mainly qualified to, or working towards their advanced racecourse groundstaff course. Steve has worked for Jockey Club Racecourses for thirty-one years, moving from Sandown Park some six years ago as deputy head groundsman. He explains the regime for the turf course: “At the end of April, we put the jumps courses ‘to bed’ with a reseed and application of
The Kempton Park grounds team
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