Hong Kong Jockey Club turf expert creates perfect Olympic footing

23 April 2008

The Olympic cross-country turf course at Beas River has been thoroughly tested and the results prove that the quality of the turf, the shock-absorbency of the footing and its drainage ability are all excellent. The turf is well and truly ready for the Olympic Eventing cross-country competition in August.

The turf experts in the Club Tracks department are the men in charge of planting the grass that provides perfect footing for the horses. The entire planting project at Beas River was finished by March 2007. From then on, the turf experts gave the grasses their personal attention, including daily inspection.  Depending on the elements, whether it's rain or sun, the experts use different methods to help the turf grow, such as precise watering, cutting and fertilising.

In April 2008, the turf was tested by overseas grass experts, who agreed that the quality of the cross-country turf footing is excellent and more than suitable for holding the Olympic Eventing competition.

The Club began planting Bermuda grass on its two racecourses back in the mid-1970s and, with the experience gleaned, it was an obvious choice to use Bermuda grass on the Olympic cross-country course.

The Club's assistant manager (tracks) T Y Cheung has supervised the turf project in Beas River from day one. Bermuda grass is "summer grass", according to Cheung, and is only now "awakening" from winter.  "The quality of the turf now gets 80 marks out of 100. After two months of growing and intensive care by the Club, the cross-country turf course will get the full 100 marks and be perfect for the Olympics," he said.

The Club has invested around HK$28 million in the cross-country footing at Beas River, including refurbishing the jump zones with sand and planting a total 45,000 square meters of Bermuda grass on the Beas River competition course and warm-up areas.