Equestrian
“Key lawns receive an equally sophisticated programme including full soil analysis”
Parade ring
was sold to Huntingdon racecourse and replaced with a 30m version, now used on the Beacon course (8ha of racing surface which links the July and Rowley Mile courses). In 2012, a 60m boom joined the fleet.
“The 50m boom had guns on its peripheral wings to cover the full 55m width of the Rowley Mile,” Michael explains, “The latest model overhangs the course so gives complete coverage, while the 50m boom has been moved to the 44m wide July course.”
“Briggs is a local company and gives us an excellent service, and we have been able to work with them to fine tune the operation - after analysing the distribution of the water, we have modified the nozzles to get a more even application.”
The system can now apply 10mm of water per furlong (about 200m) in one hour ten minutes, and it takes eleven pulls to cover the Rowley Mile. “This means one person can apply 10mm in one day, albeit a long one,” comments Michael.
The calcareous soils - which were Newmarket’s saving grace for the Guineas meeting, when a month of heavy spring rain saw several British race meetings abandoned in the first week of May - make efficient irrigation essential. “In the summer, when 30deg temperatures are matched with a stiff breeze, we can lose 30mm of moisture from the course in a week,” Michael points out. “Effective irrigation also helps eliminate draw bias (where runners drawn in starting stalls on one side of the course are favoured in running) on a 104 PC JUNE/JULY 2012
straight course.” A reservoir, also shared with Jockey Club Estates, was installed in the 1990s and holds
67,000cu.m of water, and Newmarket has an extraction permit for a borehole to top up the reservoir, although the Jockey Club has agreed with the Environment Agency to reduce this by twenty percent whilst drought conditions persist. Management of the two courses is tailored to their racing programme - the July course is used from June to August, so the team has the spring to get it into shape, and the autumn to renovate it. The last week of September sees an intensive spring tine harrow across the course, with debris removed via a Trilo vacuum. It is then aerated to prepare for winter with either a Blecavator or a Vertidrain.
“The silty clay loam means that it is effectively self-aerating, and it is important not to overwork it. We slit tine in the spring and possibly in the autumn but, generally, the soil structure is so good that it looks after itself.” The Rowley Mile is first used for the Craven meeting in April, which can present a problem as its heathland grasses are later maturing than the ryegrass on the July Course. “It can be hard to get 100 percent cover for April, although it is better for the Guineas meeting in May,” comments Michael. “However, the root structure of the heathland grass is incredible, and we don’t need to irrigate over the summer when the Rowley Mile is not in use, as
the varieties cope well with dry conditions.
The Rowley Mile can also be hard to repair after the autumn season, especially if winter closes in early, he points out.
The bend on the Rowley Mile was covered with horticultural fleece from January to March 2011 as part of a successful trial, and the full Craven Stakes Mile was covered with fleece across its 20m width in January 2012. “We removed the fleece in the first week of March and then, two weeks later, applied fertiliser; the process has made a big difference. There was less dieback, and when we had snow, the fleece prevented it compressing the sward. The plants were healthier and more receptive to nutrients, so we achieved the improved cover that we were looking for.”
Michael admits that the mild spring meant that the other side of the course caught up quickly, and emphasises the importance of getting the turf into winter in good order.
Different grass varieties, seasons and requirements mean that both courses have to be managed individually, and JCR has preferred supplier agreement with Barenbrug to help with this. Michael also works closely with Headland Amenity to plan the nutritional programme.
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