Queensland Harness Centre :: Racing Queensland

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Queensland Harness Centre

Planned

The Queensland Harness Centre at Norwell will become the new home for harness racing in the Sunshine State and will provide a world class facility that is designed with animal and human welfare as its highest priority.

The Queensland Harness Centre at Norwell will feature a 1000-metre racetrack, with optionality to explore how a 1100m track with a chute could be incorporated into the future, contemporary patron facilities and a designated training centre, including tracks and stables, for standardbred horses.

Among the concepts to be further explored with stakeholders include:

Track design to ensure fast, fair racing with horse care at the forefront;
Contemporary patron facilities that seamlessly connect with racing infrastructure, such as race-day stabling, to ensure a racing experience when on track;
Stabling for 150 horses on-course (constructed in stages so the venue grows with usage);
Consideration to cater for different trainer preferences (eg: barns or walk-in, walk-out stables);
Multiple training tracks, in addition to the main racetrack, to enable flexibility and to ensure training and racing can be staged concurrently;
The installation of training aids such as aqua exercise (horse swim), treadmills, and walkers; and
Incorporation of modern technology to enable owners to remotely see their horse stabled and during track work.

The Queensland Harness Centre is the most important development for the future of harness racing in Queensland and its participants.

Industry feedback has indicated the desire for a 1000-metre track, that incorporates well-cambered turns, a sprint lane and a surface wide enough to accommodate 10 horses across the front row.

This masterplan provides the right balance between fast, fair and safe racing, whilst creating a brilliant spectacle for patrons to enjoy an up-close experience.

This design provides us as an industry the opportunity to create an amphitheatre experience like no other in the sport.

Darren Garrard President, BOTRA Queensland

It’s great to see industry listen to its participants and determine that a 1000-metre track is the way forward.

It will cater for the majority of the racehorses and provides fast and fair racing similar to what we are so accustomed seeing at Albion Park.

Importantly, it also enables patrons to get up close to the action which will play a role in attracting new fans to the sport.

As we make the move to Norwell, I am excited to see the new home of Queensland harness racing come to life and look forward to driving many winners in the years to come.

Nathan Dawson Leading Queensland and Australian Driver

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Queensland Harness Centre

The Queensland Harness Centre at Norwell will become the new home for harness racing in the Sunshine State and will provide a world class facility that is designed with animal and human welfare as its highest priority.

Among the concepts to be further explored with stakeholders include:

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