News

Randwick work starts at Easter

28th Dec 2010

The Daily Telegraph - Ken Callander - Monday, 27 December 2010

THE bulldozers, jackhammers and construction workers will move in on Royal Randwick immediately Sydney's autumn carnival ends on Easter Monday, April 25.

Provided there is no last-minute hitch to the new merged club, which seems highly unlikely, racing will have access to its $150 million treasure chest for the redevelopment of Randwick and construction will commence without delay.

John Cornish, the current AJC vice-chairman and a member of the board of the new club, has been the major mover and shaker in the development of the plans for the "new" Randwick and he is confident of a start immediately after the Easter carnival.

Then it will be full speed ahead for the building of the two new grandstands and the new parade ring, to be titled The Theatre Of The Horse.

Cornish envisages the rebuilding will take 18 months and obviously many Randwick race meetings will have to be switched to other venues, but he is not sure at this stage whether the 2011 spring carnival and the 2012 autumn and spring carnivals will need to find a new home.

"There are a lot of things to be considered, but the main thing is we have Randwick as a world- class facility when the work is completed," Cornish said.