MICHAEL Halford has voiced his approval for the new seven-furlong straight track being laid at Cork Racecourse. The track will be unique in Irish racing when it opens, as expected, next summer.

“It’s terrific news and badly needed,” Halford said. “I’m sure all trainers will appreciate it and support it when it opens.”

Work has already commenced on the project and should be completed by the end of August.

Racecourse manager Andrew Hogan said: “It will need time to settle, so we won’t be able to race on it until June. It will be the only dead-level and dead-straight seven furlongs in Ireland.”

Shane Doyle of Horse Racing Ireland’s race planning department said the work would require some juggling of the 2018 flat programme. “We’ll be factoring this in when we complete the second draft of the fixture list next Friday.

“I’d imagine the Listed Cork Stakes in April [won by Downforce this year] will be transferred but possibly Cork could still stage some lesser sprints around a bend. Hopefully sprinters won’t lose out on any opportunities and the facility will be much improved when it’s completed.”

The €600,000 development works form part of HRI’s Racetrack Improvements Scheme, available to racecourses throughout the country to encourage the continued improvement of racecourse track and associated works through the provision of capital grant aid.

The two-year capital investment by Cork Racecourse also includes the levelling and widening of the existing straight, upgrades to track drainage, a canter down and a new Briggs watering system.