Equestrian
The home straight from the grandstand
parks by the Hayter it has replaced. “The Toro gives a much improved cut with a more upright sward and is very productive - it cuts almost half as much again as tractor mounted mowers,” Craig comments. “We have used gangs and tractors with outfront decks, but this is much tidier and gives more flexibility to cut the different areas.” With ongoing grass growth through the winter months, the light footprint of a ride-on also means that the team can keep on top of it without risking damage. “We had 14mm of rain in the last week of January, but were still able to get on and mow.” For the mixed national hunt and flat Bet365 Gold Cup Festival in April, Craig aims to get a ‘happy medium’ from cut heights. Maintaining a height of 11.5cm (4.5in) through the winter keeps a good ground cover, and it goes down to 10cm (4in) for the spring meeting, before dropping to a recognised flat racing height for the summer flat season. Craig comments that the team ‘throw everything’ at preparation for the April feature meeting, with a seven week renovation period after the last jumps fixture in March. “We have been lucky this year that we could decompact in January as it was so dry, and take advantage of the grass cover. We normally do it in March, and there is always the risk of doing more damage than good.” Three quarters of the track remains to be overseeded in March, other areas have been treated over the winter as they were ‘put to bed’ - and this is done with a
Charterhouse drill seeder, as well as manually.
A new deal with Barenbrug gives Craig access to Bar 50 SOS, a ryegrass blend formulated to germinate in low temperatures and give fast recovery from damage, and this is used to green up for the February meeting, before a return to the straight rye Promaster 79 supplied under a Jockey Club Racecourses group agreement. “We haven’t put a lot of seed on this winter as we have had only minimal damage,” he comments. “And, although the Bar 50 SOS is useful for areas that need a rapid solution, most treated seed is equally good now and gives rapid germination.”
Craig also uses germination sheets to get the seeds off to a good start, especially on take-offs and landings, although he cautions that they need careful monitoring to avoid yellowing and maintain consistent growth and colour across the course.
Divot mix is a Mansfield Sand 50/50, with lighter, sandier mixes avoided due to the risk of kickback. “But we use very little, just six loads in 2011,” Craig points out. “The aeration work and rail movements that we do means that damage is easier to repair - there is little ‘punching’ and more flaps of turf that can be replaced.” Multigreen 15:0:8 controlled release prills is used over the winter, achieving sustained colour and growth. “The release is temperature rather than moisture related, so there is no risk of a flush in wet weather, and the results
have been very good,” comments Craig. “We will use a spring Multigreen for April and May to give a long lasting effect, and then move to an NPK 15:5:20 before the Eclipse meeting in July, which is the highlight of our flat season.” Levelling is achieved with a light Cambridge roller, and works hand in hand with aeration and slitting to get the desired finish. “The Wiedenmann aerator suits our track and our workload well, as we would not have time to get the water on that would be needed if we open it up too much,” Craig explains. Since a restructure, Craig’s team of eleven groundsmen work as one unit rather than being dedicated to estate, gardening or track which, he says, is much more efficient. “Many of the team are very experienced - one has been here for forty years, and we work well together,” he explains. Raceday casuals are essential, however.
“They do a tremendous amount of work on racedays - I don’t know how courses managed when you could never be sure if they would turn up or not! ‘Treaders’ keep the ground in good condition between the races, which is expected by the trainers these days, and also make the repair work easier by preserving the grass.” Craig was just twenty-four when he came to the course, and the role of estate manager at one of the largest and busiest racecourses in the country is undoubtedly a challenge, but one which he also clearly relishes.
Machinery deals Under the ownership of Jockey Club
Briggs Irrigator 102 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012
Toro R3240T in action
Volksworld - three days remedial work
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