The exciting lifeline for Albion Park is a huge win for running racing, not just in Queensland.
It will also certainly revive talk, hopes or even ‘prayers’ in some quarters that a return to Moonee Valley is still a possibility for fans of Victorian armor.
As we watch the updates from the demolition of the Moonee Valley, it’s hard not to let your mind wander to two things… the golden days of harness racing in the Valley and IF – and it remains a big question whether – there is any chance of a harness track within the new galloping circuit.
All I know is that the Valley still has some sort of pulse – how strong it is, only those in the inner sanctum know.
But let’s get back to Albion Park, or “The Creek” as it is now known.
Just hours before the Queensland government (finally) released an independent report on racing in the state, media reports grew that Albion Park was gone. It was such a valuable asset in a prime location that the best value for racing (and the government) was to sell it.
It’s not the first time we’ve heard that.
Just a few years ago it seemed that The Creek was doomed and that the land at Norwell – about halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast – would be used to become not only the new home of harness racing in Queensland, but also a state-of-the-art training complex.
There were pros and cons to this, but just as the industry started talking about it, the idea was rejected.
It was hoped that this meant a secure future for Albion Park.
But the murmurs have been growing. The trot will move to the Doomben gallop track or, worryingly, there has been a genuine push for the inside of the Toowoomba gallop track to become the state’s main harness track.
But hopefully this latest report has put an end to the nonsense.
Albion Park is old and tired. It needs a lot of love.
And according to this report, that will happen with a massive redevelopment, including apartments, a new grandstand and much more.
If done right, it will be a showpiece for harness racing around the world, and not just in Brisbane or Australia.
And it is located right in the heart of the city.
As harness racing’s profile has declined for myriad reasons, driven by competition from so many other sports, it has effectively been pushed out of the mainstream in many ways, including the venues of the major tracks.
First Harold Park became Menangle and then Moonee Valley became Melton.
There has been talk for years about whether or not WA should keep Gloucester Park and I have already outlined the situation at Albion Park in recent times.
Whenever possible, the sport should take place on the dance floor. Granted, it’s much harder in megacities like Sydney or Melbourne, but if Perth and Brisbane as a sector were to lose their metro lines it would be a huge blow to the game.
Some have always felt that the only thing that matters is the health of the harness racers in their area.
Of course there is a lot of truth in that.
But what is actually crucial is a strong, vibrant and relevant national industry.
Holding an Inter Dominion, Blacks A Fake, Nullarbor or WA Pacing Cup on a city circuit is important.
It’s a statement.
Ask anyone who has been there as a competitor or simply a fan and they will agree that some of the very best Inter Dominions of the modern era have been in Brisbane and Perth.
Brisbane will hold the second of three in July next year.
It will still be on the current old Albion Park circuit, but now there is real excitement about what the future holds.
Through Adam Hamiltonfor Harness Racing New Zealand
#revival #Albion #Park #generating #national #optimism