Major track work at Cork

Cork racecourse has revealed an extensive track development program which started this year and will continue during 2013 & 2014.

The purpose of the program is aimed at improving the overall racing surface of the track and is divided into two elements, top dressing and drainage.

Over the last number of years it has become noticeable that the track’s response to weather conditions both in summer and winter has been changing.

In summer the track dries out and it has become difficult to change the going with watering. In the winter the track is more prone to water-logging, the further into the year it goes. These issues result in very soft going in the winter and somewhat harder in the dry mid summer months.

Cork Racecourse recruited the services of John Souter following a seminar he gave for the Turf Club on soil/ground composition.

Following extensive analysis of the soil throughout the track it became evident that the composition of the soil at Cork Racecourse was the initial source of a lot of the problems.

Put simply, soil is made up of various grades of material from ‘fine’ to ‘course’. Ideally a consistent mix concentrated in the ‘middle range’ is what is considered suitable for sports surfaces; it can best handle our weather conditions and it helps create a healthy grass sward.

Cork’s soil has 80% in the ‘fine’ end of the range. This makes it dryer and harder in the summer and wetter and mud-like in the winter. To redress the balance the course need to introduce large quantities of material in the ‘middle’ range to balance out the soil.

It is believed that the sand from the Wexford pits is ideal for this. It also has a very desirable ‘ph’ level which is crucial to good grass growth and worm activity. The intention is to top dress the track at least three times a year with this sand and get it worked down through the soil structure to create a more balanced crumblier soil. This program will account for approximately half the cost of the project.

Working alongside this is the drainage at the track. While there was some drainage installed back in 1997 when the track reopened and some other sections were drained since then, all this work has not been integrated together.

For this improved soil structure to work at its best the track must go back to basics and install a complete drainage system throughout. This requires main-draining the track with a series of drains radiating out from the ambulance road across the track at 7m centers. Then we will install a series of gravel drains around the track at 2m centers overlaid above and perpendicular to the main drains. This will provide an integrated drainage system. A key factor in the drains and slits is the make-up of the material within them.

These drains should help get water off the surface of the track but not completely drain water from the soil. Only when the surface is overloaded with water should it be released into the drains and away from the track. Getting this ‘percolation’ effect correct is crucial. Therefore specific gravel and sand ‘grades’ are required in accurate compositions in the slits and drains.

Though weather conditions were not favorable this year the track has begun the program with top dressing, gravel drains and regarding of the inner mote. They will resume the program in 2013 with the main drains and continued top dressing.