Bolster
06-15-2018, 12:08 AM
With over 50 years of trotting at Eastfied Park in Victoria, the Croydon Light Harness Club (CLHC) is under serious threat, with the release of the Maroondah City Council Eastfield Park Enhancement Plan. The plan sees CLHC evicted from the park, but no written mention is made of the removal of the trotting track, stables and eviction of the CLHC. There is a proposal to development an additional football, 2 soccer ovals and a skate board park with additional parking.
The CLHC maintain that they can coexist with additional ovals, alternate options involving the CLHC were considered by council but these were rejected. Requests to see these reports have been denied by the council.
For over 50 years, everyday of the year, people have been at the training complex morning and night. The training complex currently has 12 active trainers with numerous associate members. There are yearlings at various stages of training, 2 year olds and aged horses in training. The complex also has a high level of community involvement. With the uncertainty of the training complex, people are reluctant to outlay for additional horse and making it difficult to attract new members.
With the decline in horse numbers, the harness racing industry cannot afford to loose such a complex, as the racing stock help make up numbers for races mainly at Cranbourne, Yarra Valley and Warragul, which are all struggling for numbers.
The best horse to have been trained at the complex would be the Maori's Idol horse Diggers Idol, the Group 1 Australasian Trotters Championship winner in 1990 trained by Terry Meredith. Currently there is a promising 2 year old Arggghhh winner of the 2018 APG Consolation Final is due back in work with trainer Ray Woods. The Laraine McKenzie gelding Royal Bettor winner of his last two starts.
The CLHC maintain that they can coexist with additional ovals, alternate options involving the CLHC were considered by council but these were rejected. Requests to see these reports have been denied by the council.
For over 50 years, everyday of the year, people have been at the training complex morning and night. The training complex currently has 12 active trainers with numerous associate members. There are yearlings at various stages of training, 2 year olds and aged horses in training. The complex also has a high level of community involvement. With the uncertainty of the training complex, people are reluctant to outlay for additional horse and making it difficult to attract new members.
With the decline in horse numbers, the harness racing industry cannot afford to loose such a complex, as the racing stock help make up numbers for races mainly at Cranbourne, Yarra Valley and Warragul, which are all struggling for numbers.
The best horse to have been trained at the complex would be the Maori's Idol horse Diggers Idol, the Group 1 Australasian Trotters Championship winner in 1990 trained by Terry Meredith. Currently there is a promising 2 year old Arggghhh winner of the 2018 APG Consolation Final is due back in work with trainer Ray Woods. The Laraine McKenzie gelding Royal Bettor winner of his last two starts.