Racing resumes on the Riccarton Park Polytrack for the second year on Thursday 4 May.

This is the start of a run of eleven racemeetings on the Polytrack from May through to September.  Effectively there is a racemeeting on the synthetic surface every fortnight.

Notable aspects from the first Polytrack season in 2022 included:

• From 1 May to 9 September 2022 nine midweek South Island meetings on the Turf averaged $103,399 per race whilst the average of the Riccarton Park Polytrack meetings was $105,140.

• The average field size was 9.84, not too far behind the national average.  It was impacted by low average on the very first meeting and the meeting on Thursday 25 August which was a new meeting added to the calendar.

• The national average field size was exceeded at five of the 11 meetings.

• The Polytrack evolved to be kind to punters with favourites winning 31.3% of the races which is ahead of the national average of 28-30%.

• BUOYANT won on the Polytrack on Friday 3 June 2022.  In five subsequent starts on the turf he won three and ran two seconds.  Wins included the Group 3 Lindauer Stewards Stakes and the Listed Property Brokers Hazlett Stakes.

• CAMPIONESSA won on the Polytrack on 1 September 2022.  She raced on to win two races including the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy and the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile.  CAMPIONESSA was also Group 1 second in both the Herbie Dyke Stakes and Bonecrusher NZ Stakes.

• On Wednesday 10 August LIGHT UP won on the Polytrack and three months later won a $60,000 race on the support card of New Zealand Cup Day.

• JUNE BUG also won a similar race on New Zealand Cup Day after having raced four times on the Polytrack for placings.

• In September ILLICIT MISS won a double on the Polytrack going on to win a $60,000 race over 2500 metres at the NZ Cup Meeting.

• Champion trainer Mark Walker won with BELLE OF THE BALL on the final Polytrack meeting of 2022.  She continued racing to win two more races and run second in Group 3 company.

• MEGALOMANIAC raced at six of the Polytrack meetings winning on three occasions.

• GLOBAL BEAUTY won on the Polytrack and has gone on to win two more races on the turf.

• In June and July FRANKIE THE FOX won consecutive open handicaps over ‘metric mile’ on the turf and the Polytrack.

• Michael and Matthew Pitman have trained most winners on the Polytrack with 10.

• Lisa Allpress with 11 holds the most wins amongst the jockeys.

The racemeeting on Thursday 4 May is an Industry day but is followed two weeks later Thursday 18 May with a feature meeting.  The full list of dates for the 2023 Polytrack season is as follows:

1. Thu 4 May 2023                         Synthetic Racing Season 1^st Day                Industry meeting

2. Thu 18 May 2023                      Synthetic Racing Season 2^nd Day               Feature meeting

3. Fri 2 June 2023                           Synthetic Racing Season 3^rd Day                Industry meeting

4. Thu 15 June 2023                      Synthetic Racing Season 4^th Day                Industry meeting

5. Thu 29 June 2023                      Synthetic Racing Season 5^th Day                Industry meeting

6. Wed 12 July 2023                     Synthetic Racing Season 6^th Day                Industry meeting added stakes

7. Fri 28 July 2023                          Synthetic Racing Season 7^th Day                Industry meeting

8. Wed 9 August 2023                  GNF 2^nd Day, Synthetic Season 8^th Day    Feature meeting

9. Thu 24 August 2023                 Synthetic Racing Season 9^th Day                Industry meeting

10. Thu 31 August 2023                 Synthetic Racing Season 10^th Day             Industry meeting

11. Wed 13 September 2023      Synthetic Racing Season 11^th Day             Industry meeting