QRacing administrator Brendan Comyn overlooks the club's damaged sand training track. Photo: Andrew Johnston
A flooded Dairy Farmers Park at the height of last Saturday's storms. Photos: Roderick Girvan, contributed
A flooded Dairy Farmers Park at the height of last Saturday's storms. Photos: Roderick Girvan, contributed
A flooded Dairy Farmers Park at the height of last Saturday's storms. Photos: Roderick Girvan, contributed
QRACING administrator Brendan Comyn estimates the Queanbeyan Racing Club will be left several thousand dollars out of pocket after last weekend’s wild weather washed away large portions of the club’s fast sand track.
Saturday’s storm saw 93mm of rain fall at the McCrae Street Club in less than two hours leaving the main straight under nearly a foot of water.
While the main grass track emerged largely unscathed, the nearby sand training track was laid bare by the torrential downpour.
“The training track didn’t handle the conditions very well,” Comyn said. “All the sand on the fast track was basically washed down to the bottom of the hill.
“It’s probably going to cost us about $3000-$4000 that hasn’t been budgeted for but it’s just one of those things, it’s bad luck really.”
Comyn said the damage to the course could have been worse, if an on-site dam had not been repaired and reinforced following the 2010 floods.
The damaged sand track was due to be repaired by the end of the week. And Comyn said the club had some breathing room in returning to normal track conditions with Queanbeyan's next race meeting not due to be held until Tuesday, February 12.
Queanbeyan Race Course wasn't the only local sporting venue to be hit hard last weekend with Dairy Farmers Park largely underwater at the height of the storm. As these reading photos submitted by Roderick Girvan show, the Queanbeyan Tigers' home ground was completely flooded.
Once drained however, the playing surface and Tigers club facilities escaped any major damage.