On Saturday 10 August, the Murray Bridge Racing Club unveiled their state-of-the-art new home at Gifford Hill for their first official race day. Ten years in the making, Burke Urban are thrilled to be part of the new $35m Gifford Hill Racecourse project and to assist in developing a facility that will facilitate the future of thoroughbred racing in Murray Bridge and South Australia.

Gifford Hill is a joint venture between Burke Urban Gifford Hill Pty Ltd, the Murray Bridge Racing Club and Thoroughbred Racing SA, which has relocated the Murray Bridge Racecourse to its new facility in Gifford Hill and will now undertake the re-development of the old Racecourse site in the heart of Murray Bridge.

The Official Launch of the new precinct saw the facility play host to over a thousand spectators, who enjoyed live music, first class food and beverage and the official opening ceremony hosted by His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC. McEvoy Mitchell Racing won the opener; however, it was Silent Sovereign who proved too good for short-priced stablemate and Spring hopeful Deep Force, who could only manage third.

Burke Urban’s Kym Burke said, “The opening on Saturday was an exciting day for Burke Urban and our Joint Venture partners, who invested $25m into this project, with a $5m Commonwealth Grant, and short term loans from the State Government and TRSA making up the balance. This couldn’t happen without an amazing team of people, so I’d like to acknowledge and thank our committed and supportive joint venture partners in putting together and taking the risk on a massive project like this: Hurley Hotel Group, the Wicks family, Mark Ricciuto, my family and the Burke Urban team.”

Kym continued, “Those who visit the Gifford Hill site are amazed to see a state-of-the-art race track, a sub-surface tunnel to enable horses to enter the centre of the track for training, an undercover Race Day Stalls building to cater for over 100 horses, and the $20m “jewel in the crown”, the Function Centre and Race Day Facility.”

Governor of South Australia, the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, said during his speech that he was speaking to a jockey who said that it’s the best ground in Australia – you can barely feel the horse touch the ground.

The Gifford Hill project is incredibly important to both the future of thoroughbred racing in South Australia as well as the City of Murray Bridge. The project gives South Australia a state-of-the-art racecourse and equine training facility at Murray Bridge, complementing Adelaide’s only city course located at Morphettville. The new housing land will accommodate the demands of the steadily expanding Rural City of Murray Bridge and support the City’s growth expectations over the next 30 years.

The Gifford Hill Racecourse Masterplan includes an area set aside for a Trainer’s Village of some 40 equine allotments, with direct access to all of the current Murray Bridge training and track facilities via horse walking trails and the underground tunnel. It is also proposed to include a horse swimming pool, horse-walkers, sand rolls and a site that will allow an equine clinic to be developed. Allotments range in size from 4,902m2 to 16,525m2 and the first stage is now open for registrations of interest.

To register your interest or to speak to an agent, visit www.mbtv.com.au