Seymour Racing Club Grapples with Severe Flooding Again
The Seymour Racecourse and its training tracks have again been submerged under floodwaters, marking another challenging episode for the Seymour Racing Club. This recent flooding is the second incident the area has faced in just over a year.
The Club is now confronted with the prospect of another substantial repair effort following the deluge that overwhelmed the racecourse and training facilities. This comes just 15 months after the last devastating flood.
The Seymour region, including residences and businesses, faces significant flood threats as the Goulburn River and surrounding creeks have overflowed due to intense rainfall over the weekend.
Recalling the 2022 floods, which caused considerable damage and left lingering issues at the track, SRC chief executive Chris Martin shared the financial toll: "The last floods led to repair costs of $130,000. Post-flood, we also had to contend with a disease in the grass, brought by the floodwaters, which disrupted our first four meetings of 2023."
Seymour Racing Club's Current Aim
Currently, the Club's training tracks and much of the main course are submerged, severely affecting the Club's horse pool and other facilities. Images show the racecourse pool transformed into a murky swamp following the weekend's floods.
Amid this challenging situation, Martin pointed out a small silver lining. "We had just hosted a meeting on January 3rd and were scheduled for renovations, with our next event not until April 19th. This timing means that, fortunately, no immediate meetings will be affected. However, we're now waiting for the waters to recede."
Martin and track manager Brett Thompson are trying to evaluate the extent of the damage once the floodwaters withdraw. "It's hard to tell if the damage is as extensive as in 2022. We'll have a clearer understanding of the situation and the associated costs once Brett can assess the aftermath," Martin added.