Racing Victoria (RV) wishes to advise of an upcoming change to 1200m races conducted on the turf track at Sportsbet-Pakenham.
The extension of the sprint chute, which mirrors that in place at Sandown, has been completed and is now able to accommodate 1200m races in addition to 1000m races.
Given the sprint chute is not lit, some adjustments have been made for races over 1200m depending on the time of year.
RV advises that all 1200m races held at Pakenham on the turf track in January and February will be run out of the chute due to ample natural light available over the summer months. All races from the sprint chute will also be programmed early in the meeting.
However, all 1200m races on the turf track from March to May will be run from the original 1200m start.
This approach was taken to provide a degree of consistency for both punter and participants rather than change the start position for 1200m races each week. The race name will also include a reference to the chute if being conducted from within to assist punters.
The first race to be run from the new sprint chute will be on Pakenham Cup Day on Saturday, 4 December 2021.