Horse Racing Track Conditions In Australia And Why They Are Important

Horse Racing Track Conditions In Australia And Why They Are Important

by

K Cummings

In Australia, horse racing tracks are measured in terms of speed. The drier and firmer the track, the faster that horses can run. These measurements range from Fast, Good and Dead and then Slow to Heavy. They are now also measured on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is dry and hard, to 10 which are very muddy. For example, you will see track ratings of Good 3 for example, meaning that the track is in good condition, but may have a heavy cover of grass making it a little softer for horses to gallop on. Dry tracks are considered to be rated from Fast to Good, while Wet tracks are noted as Dead, Slow or Heavy.

Often track ratings will include a penetrometer reading. The penetrometer is an instrument that measures how firm the track is, and readings are taken at a range of points around the circuit to see how consistent the track is. A race track can cover a large amount of ground, and different conditions can exist in different areas of the track. Ratings are averaged over the number of readings taken.

These ratings are used on grass tracks, but we are also seeing the advent of all weather tracks, in addition to the dirt tracks that are used in some countries in Australia. All weather tracks are artificial surfaces that are becoming more popular as they reduce the need for watering in many instances.

As you can imagine, the surface that a horse races on can make a big difference. Horses also have a range of physical characteristics that can affect the way they run in different conditions on differemt tracks. Some horses have small hooves or feet, and these are often associated with horses bred to run on dirt tracks. Different galloping actions can also influence the way that a horse runs on different surfaces. Horses can be seen to lift their knees very high when they run, and sometimes this can help them on heavy tracks.

With horses though, no single factor can be definitive in the end result of a race. However, as some of these characteristics can be hereditary, it is often a good idea to see how the progeny of certain stallions go under various track conditions. Most good form guides will tell of a horse’s previous runs on differing track conditions.

While this can be a very good guide to their chance of handling the track today, it definitely does not take into account differences in weight, barrier, jockey, quality of the race, distance or any of the other variables that need to be considered when wagering pm a race.

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