The track was deemed unsafe after two events were washed out with heavy rain this season, the latest being on May 16.

Port Pirie Harness Racing Club secretary Neville Thomson said Harness Racing SA had told the club that the top of the track needed to be replaced otherwise it would bring an untimely end to the season.

“Our meetings may have had to be transferred to Globe Derby Park,” he said.

The club acted immediately and wrote to the Port Pirie Regional Council asking for use of some machinery to pull up the existing track and replace it with compacted shell grit.

Because the machinery was council property it was also required that it be driven by council workers, who volunteered their time at a weekend.

“We had to do something immediately,” Mr Thomson said.

The deadline to finish work on the track was May 27, with finishing touches being done by club volunteers that morning.

Mr Thomson was glad to have the support of council and club volunteers to help with upkeep of the track.

“A small band of voluntary workers and the club curator Stan Loizeau have kept our complex and track in excellent condition,” he said.

Routine maintenance was due on the track during the off-season, after two years since the last work was done.

“Due to restrictive funds, our club has to fund all of this ourselves so we try to make it last as long as we can,” Mr Thomson said. He said most horse owners had their own track facilities on their properties so the track at Phoenix Park was only used for trials and races.

PHOTO:

Port Pirie Harness Racing Club curator Stan Loizeau, left, with the help of volunteer John Bateson did finishing touches to the resurfaced track at Pheonix Park.

Mr Loizeau was happy with the work that had been done and said the track looked “terrific”.

The park will undergo routine upkeep again in November.