With a schedule of 50 race days in year 2023, coupled with the large number of entries predisposing to 12 race cards a day  – the Selangor Turf Club has been researching strategies to facilitate racing on their race track with this increased load and demand.

In early June last year, the Club developed and commenced racing on the inner track (Track 2), which had been primarily used for trials and trackwork. Ever since then, this strategy has created competitive racing dynamic of differing distances on a tighter track.

Although the main track withstands the pressure of weekly racing, due to heavy downpours on race day, some races have been lost in recent seasons.

With this in mind, the Committee sought solutions and the answer lies hopefully in a wicking drainage geotextile called MIRAFI ® FW _L22-DR1, supplied and installed by SOLMAX. The wicking drainage geotextile absorbs the rainfall that infiltrates the ground and drains the absorbed water across the track into a subsoil trench drain. The speed of drainage is crucial in ensuring rapid resumption of the track useability.

A test plot of 52 metres by 17 metres (approx. 730msq) is currently being laid between 850m to 950m mark on the Main Track. The turf and topsoil are removed, the area excavated to a depth of 350mm, with a gradient slope of 2 degrees created to facilitate run off into the subsoil trench drain to the outside of the track.

A  150mm perforated pipe is encased in drainage gravel within the subsoil trench drain and connected to an existing deep concrete culvert to drain away. The MIRAFI®  FW_L22-DR1 wicking drainage geotextile is smoothly laid on the excavated and compacted subgrade and the topsoil/turf, then re-laid and compacted.

The subsoil drainage improvement design requires minimum earthworks with simple construction procedure that consequently results in a short race disruption duration. This process on the test plot will be completed in time for the return to racing on the main track on 5^th and 6^th August 2023.

Of course the ‘proof of any pudding is in the eating’ – but it is hoped that this innovative test plot of MIRAFI ® FW_L22-DR1 wicking drainage geotextile will surpass expectations allowing Selangor Turf Club to fully utilise the technology on the entire main track, thereby minimizing the risk of race abandonments.

The Club always endeavors to maintain the conditions of training and racing facilities. Recently, the Club just completed the resurfacing of access roads at the Visiting stables.   

July 2023