ALBURY Racing Club looks assured of staging its opening meeting of the season on Thursday for only the second time in the past five years.
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The club has been forced to abandon three of the past four season openers, including the past two because a wet winter left the track unsuitable for racing.
But club chief John Miller said the recent fine weather and a favourable forecast for the next couple of days should see the track rated either a slow (6) or (7).
“The track is looking fairly good for this time of year,” he said.
“At the moment the track is bordering on the slow to heavy and should be in the slow range by Thursday.
“Traditionally the meeting has always been a worry at this time of year but it looks like we will get through no problems at all.”
The club received 117 nominations, with final fields released today after 9am.
The seven-race TAB meeting will be on Sky Racing 1.
Miller said the club was putting together a proposal to Racing NSW to fund an upgrade of Albury racecourse.
“We are in the process of going through exactly what needs to be done,” he said.
“We want a new irrigation and drainage system.
“The surveyors are still to determine what needs to be done in regards to the track camber, re-alignment and the other technical issues.
“We hope to have the proposal finalised in the next six weeks.”