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| Bart
Cowan -
Racecourse
Manager |
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| An
aspect of the thoroughbred industry that can be taken
for granted is the standard of the surfaces provided for
racing and training at the many racecourse throughout
New Zealand. Essential to their preparation is the team
of course managers employed by Racing Clubs, people like
young Cambridge man Bart Cowan. |
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| His
position with the Cambridge Jockey Club makes him responsible
for providing training facilities for over 500 racehorses,
the largest concentration at any one training centre in
the country. It's a demanding job, one that entails directing
a staff of seven, presenting a total of 15 different types
of tracks to trainers in their best possible condition,
and co-ordinating the whole operation in consultation
with club management. |
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| And
while the Cambridge Club does not conduct racemeetings
at its training facility, it must still provide a surface
to stage regular trial meetings throughout the year. |
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| To
say it is a challenge for Bart to oversee the management
of such an operation would be no overstatement. He brings
to the job a range of skills learnt over the last 13 years,
dating back to when he left school at age 15 and took
his first job as a trainee track manager at Cambridge. |
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| His
boss then was Ray Hawke, one of the country's most respected
track managers, who gave him an excellent grounding, combine
with studying for his Sports Turf and Racecourse Management
certificates through the Lower Hutt Open Polytechnic. |
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| After
seven years in his home town, Bart traveled to Australia,
where he took a job at Sydney's main racetrack, Randwick.
There he was involved in the construction of the all weather
Trackmaster surface, got to know its developer, Californian
Steve Wood, and joined his company to install similar
sand and wood fibre surfaces at Fleminigton and Caulfield
in Melbourne and at Brisbane's Eagle Farm racetrack. |
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| He
then returned close to home where he oversaw the installation
of the Trackmaster surface at Matamata. His contract included
staying on at Matamata for a period, during which time
he passed on his knowledge of Trackmaster surfaces. Bart's
experiences to that point were sufficient to land him
a job back in familiar territory, as Cambridge track manager,
and in the two years he has held the position he has gained
immense pride and satisfaction from the development and
continued success of Cambridge as the country's largest
training centre. |
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| Another
career move is on the horizon, having successfully applied
for the position as course manager of not one but three
tracks in Adelaide. The Morphetville, Victoria Park and
Cheltenham tracks are the heart of the South Australian
racing industry and will provide him with his greatest
challenge yet. |
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| "It's
great to have landed the job," he enthused as he
contemplated the prospect of managing 34 staff and supervising
weekly racing. As always, Bart will be striving to provide
racing and training facilities to bring out the best in
horses and trainers depending on his skills as a track
manager. |
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