Investing in a new racing surface has already paid off for the Roxburgh Trotting Club.
Although the Roxburgh region was hit by a deluge over the weekend the club's track has been left in remarkably good order, according to resident trainer Geoff Knight.
''The track was 100% perfect yesterday morning - you could have raced on it easily.
That was despite surrounding properties being hit with between 58 and 70ml of rain in Sunday's downpour.
Last month the Roxburgh club initiated a major upgrade of its racing surface. An existing layer of grit and crusher dust was removed and replaced with 250 tonnes of sand, sourced from Blackhead quarry near Dunedin.
It is the same sand used on Forbury Park's recently renovated racing surface.
Had the Roxburgh track not been upgraded before the rains hit, the track would not have fared so well.
''The last track would have an absolute mess. It would have been worse than at our last race meeting,'' Knight said.
At this year's annual Roxburgh meeting, the track was hit with a mixture of rain, snow, hail and wind as patrons were sent scurrying for shelter.
The club will hold a trials meeting on December 20 before its meeting on January 4.
