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South-east starting gates get tick of approval

New starting gates for the Mount Gambier and Penola Racing Clubs have made the long and arduous journey from Mount Barker to the south-east, ready for use at tomorrow’s Scott Group of Companies Mount Gambier Gold Cup.    

Racing SA committed $175,000 for the gates which will be shared with the Penola Racing Club as part of the capital expenditure funding program this financial year.

“With Mount Gambier coming back online the starting gates down there were being shared between Penola, Naracoorte and Mount Gambier so just the travel involved on the back of a truck did not bode well for the gates long term,” said Racing SA’s Chief Operating Officer Vaughn Lynch.

“The current gates which are in excellent condition are going to stay at Naracoorte, so now they have their own set.

“Two years ago we did up the Bordertown gates so that Bordertown have their own starting gates, and this newest set we are picking up today is going to be shared between Mount Gambier and Penola so they will only do that small trip,” he said.

The starting gates were made by world-renowned Adelaide Hills company Simtrack, which has supplied and manufactured equipment for racing clubs throughout the UK, France and South Africa.

Penola Racing Club Vice President, and Country Racing SA board member Justin Kain transported the new gates himself.   

“Simtrack is sending a representative to Mount Gambier today. They will help install the new gates, train the staff and run through everything they need to know and then they will be used at the Cup on Friday,” said Lynch.

“Simtrack made these gates and they make a lot of starting gates and also running rails, and essentially they are next door neighbours to Stereline Racing in Mount Barker which are the other global leaders in racetrack starting gates, so it is remarkable success story for the Adelaide Hills,” he said.

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