As Ellerslie Racecourse took its biggest step towards a much-anticipated and triumphant return to the New Zealand racing calendar, the boss of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing took a moment to reminisce on what's been a massive journey.
Twenty-three horses ran across five different jump outs at the famed track, that's undergone the biggest redevelopment in its history. More than $50 million was invested to future-proof the venue, with tens of thousands of tonnes of soil removed.
It's taken almost two years since the first layer of soil was removed, with the aim of being opened again for Karaka Millions night in January seemingly now a fait accompli.
But the journey to get to this point has had its fair share of ups and downs.
"I'm glad it's raining because there'd be a few tears in the eye," ATR chief executive Paul Wilcox told 1News when asked what the journey's been like. "[There's been] a lot of hard work by a lot of people.
"When we were sitting here on Auckland Anniversary [11 months ago] when Auckland was massively effected by the floods, that was the one moment where I was sitting in the stands and I was wondering, 'do I still have a career?' It was that devastating," an emotional Wilcox explained as he looked around the venue.
"But, funnily enough when the sun did come up on that Saturday, we walked on the track - it was just in its rawness it didn't have grass on it - and we'd had 220mls of rain and the track was dry. That was the moment that I went, 'hell, we've got a chance'.
"Our surface is very similar to what they've got in Hong Kong. Not too long ago they had half a metre of rain in a period of two days. It stopped raining on the Friday and they raced on the Sunday. We know it can handle the water, it's been validated and tested to handle the water before it got seeded so we're fully confident."
That surface he talks about is from Strathayr - an Australian-founded company that specialises in turf. The Strathayr layers consist of sand, gravel and a specific matrix mix, which sits below the turf itself. It's ideal for fast drainage and longevity.
"I spoke to a couple of riders and I'm fearful of it being a little bit firm, but it's always going to be like that because it's a growing medium. As time will go it will build up that organic matter to provide a little bit more give," ATR Track Manager Jason Fulford said.
"The riders are saying it's firm but there is the give in that matrix mix which is provided by Strathayr."
The jumpouts were a key indicator in how the track is progressing. ATR is aiming for a raceday return on January 14, just under a fortnight before Karaka Millions night to "blow off the cobwebs". They need sign off from the Racing Integrity Board and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.
But after the jumpouts, that looks well and truly on track.
"Really happy with this track," jockey Premiership leader Warren Kennedy said.
"There's nice give in this track, there's a nice bit of sponge when the horses hit it. It might sound like it's pretty firm when they go down, you get quite an echo noise but when they're hitting the track there's a good bit of cushion which is lovely for the horses."
Trainer Shaun Clotworthy echoed those sentiments.
"The horses loved it, it's just an amazing surface," he said. "They're really wanting to stretch out, they've got their ears pricked, they're walking nice and sound when they come off and they're happy. They've pulled up really nice and sound and they've just enjoyed a great day out here. It's an amazing surface here they've had rain overnight and they're hardly marking it."
So, after two years of silence at the country's premier racing venue and some nervous moments, what will it be like to have horses return for real?
"It'll be pretty cool," Wilcox stated. "You'll have [racing fanatics] Boys Get Paid up the top doing their chant and this [grandstand] will be packed.
"And that's what we want for New Zealand racing - to have an evening where it'll be the richest twilight day of sport, there's a lot of money on the line which is cool.
"And it's our time to be proud of what we do and show New Zealand that we actually do a really good job.
"We've got the horses, we've got the jockeys, let's give some loves back to those owners that invest a lot of money."
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