Equestrian
The front of the racecourse gets battered by the wind, so we try to focus decorative work at the back, although this is north facing, so doesn’t get a lot of sun
”
Investment in planting around the public areas will benefit functions held outside racing and add a sense of occasion on racedays
Rail movements are managed by careful planning with casual staff drafted in for major moves
Lawns are maintained with a Dennis G760 cylinder mower, fitted with a trailing seat to increase its output, and the John Deere X740 ride-on used for smaller rough areas and tidying up is due for replacement next year. Preparations for the racing year begin with a verti-drain in February, followed two to three weeks later by overseeding. “This year, we only needed to overseed the running lines, bends and heavily used areas,” Ron comments. “We trialed fleecing the bends, which is a
technique used at Newmarket, to encourage germination in a cold spring. It’s hard work in windy conditions, but definitely makes a difference, so we will do it again.” The track is slit again before racing starts and a light harrow on the summer track pulls debris up and lifts the sward. Feeding begins mid-March with a product
that offers up to six months’ activity from a formulation that is 40% quick start and 60% slow release. “This gave us a wider window for applications and we saw great results in the spring,” says Ron. This allowed the team to apply Headland
Xtend at their leisure in June, and to time its application with rainfall, avoiding the need to irrigate. Everris Proturf followed on the outer track in September. Attention has also turned to improving the public areas, with landscaping and extra seating planned around the hospitality buildings to offer year round colour and a more attractive environment for the many functions hosted outside of racing. “The front of the racecourse gets battered by the wind, so we try to focus decorative work at the back, although this is north facing, so doesn’t get a lot of sun!” Investment has included 1500 flowers
planted in three cycles of 500 each year, ten large trees, six conifer spirals and twenty- one new troughs. “It's a lot of extra work as we don’t have a
gardener, but it’s worth it,” says Ron. The winter months are taken up with
servicing and maintaining kit, and giving every part of the course an overhaul. Stables are painted and refurbished and there is time to focus on all the maintenance jobs that don’t happen during the busy racing season. “If it stands still, it will get painted,” laughs Ron. “It’s also a time to catch up with staff training and for everyone to take some family time - in the season, we work from 7.15am to 5.15pm but, in winter, it’s 8.00 to 4.00, with every other Friday off.” Ron has an able assistant in the form of
The use of two separate tracks means that ground can be saved for early and late meetings
100 I PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015
Steve Jefferies, the longest standing member of the Nottingham team, and Steve takes a leading role, particularly focusing on track and large machinery maintenance. The team is completed by Robson Holland and Kevin Rothwell. Future projects include upgrading the machinery shed at a cost of £60,000 to include modern wash down facilities. Six furlongs of Fornell rail are also on order to update older sections. Minor improvements are taking place all
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