Will someone please tell Cecil that the Toowoomba "cushion" track no longer exists as he week in and week out rolls that "cushion" word off his tongue when making reference to Toowoomba flat racing.....FFS the track was pulled up more than 2 years ago.... :S
A CONTROVERSIAL Clifford Park racing chapter draws to a close tonight when Toowoomba Turf Club (TTC) hosts its final Saturday twilight meeting on the synthetic course proper.
The lights tonight go out on four years of night Cushion Track racing at the track.
It was introduced in 2009 by past boards of the club and Racing Queensland as an intended saviour of the drought-stricken region only to be consigned to history as a "failed experiment".
The end of Cushion Track is a landmark as far as the future of the club and racing at Clifford Park is concerned
The final Cushion Track meeting before grass is returned to the course will be held on Tuesday afternoon.
TTC chairman Bob Frappell describes the end of Cushion Track racing at Clifford Park and a return to a traditional grass-track surface as a "landmark" for the club.
"The end of Cushion Track is a landmark as far as the future of the club and racing at Clifford Park is concerned," Frappell said.
"Almost all club members and the industry as a whole have been waiting on the day Cushion Track racing ceases to make way for the beginning of the grass track reconstruction."
Frappell said both industry members and the public have given Clifford Park's synthetic track a clear thumbs down.
"It's been a failed experiment in my opinion," Frappell said.
"The most damning evidence has been the decrease in race acceptance numbers, its lack of support from those outside our racing jurisdiction and falling TAB turnover.
"It is becoming unsustainable.
"But the thing that hit home hardest to me was when we lost the Listed status of our Toowoomba Cup and the Weetwood came under scrutiny.
"Respect is being lost for our two age-old races and I think there is a loss of respect being shown for the Cushion Track from the local community."
Clifford Park's successful grass-track tenderer will be officially announced on Tuesday.
TRACK TIMELINE
• February 14, 2009 - Closed for Cushion installation
• July 11, 2009 - Cushion Track opens
• July 9, 2013 - Cushion Track closes
• December 31, 2013 - Grass track set to re-open
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