Seymour Racing Club optimistic about the future

Seymour Racing Club chief executive Brett Shambrook recently took the reins from retiring chief executive Penny Reeve.

Shambrook started as a trainee at Seymour Racing Club and was chief executive for four years before his work with Racing Victoria.

He said the track’s new material had more guts and would establish stronger root growth and make the surface more consistent for racing.

“Course proper reconstruction is completed and we’re now in the process of the grass settling in and establishing strong root growth,” Shambrook said.

“We hope to have horses galloping on the track in March or April next year and racing back in October 2022.

“The club has had a difficult run for a couple of years with the first track reconstruction not going to plan, but we’re confident the track is going to perform well when we get back to racing.

“It’s been a frustrating period, particularly for local members. But the big tick of approval is the investment from Racing Victoria and the government that shows Seymour plays an important role in racing.”

With the track completed, Shambrook said the club was reviewing its plans with the aim of positioning itself as the feature of racing and training in the north-east and central Victoria.

“Giving everyone access to the facilities is a high priority, which includes putting in a lift at the Bar Landy Restaurant,” he said.

“We’ve got a new deck on the grandstand viewing platform and we’re also in the process of enclosing the whole precinct with kangaroo fencing to protect riders and trainers.

“One of the main jobs in the coming six months is to reconnect with members and local community to ensure they know the club is still there and operating and it won’t be long until it’s back at full capacity.

“I also encourage all current and past members to renew their membership to ensure they are kept abreast of any club news during the coming months.”