Pakenham Track To Receive $8.8M Boost From Victorian Government For Synthetic Track

As Victoria's newest racecourse continues its slow rise from the mud in Tynong, Australia, the Victorian government on Tuesday announced a A$9M ($8.8M) injection "to support the construction of an all-weather synthetic track, the second track of its kind in the state," according to Michael Sharkie of THE AGE. Together with the Pakenham Racing Club, Racing Victoria and Country Racing Victoria, the state government will contribute A$3M to the new Pakenham synthetic track project "to serve the racing population in the south-east of Melbourne." The "sale of the existing Pakenham race course to private developers" has funded most of the A$70M construction. Racing "is expected to start on the new turf track" by Sept. '14 while synthetic track racing is scheduled for the '15-16 season (THE AGE, 5/22).