IN an effort to make the “high-risk profession” of horse racing a little safer, Thoroughbred Park now has plastic running rail and posts.

Thoroughbred Park CEO Peter Stubbs says safety is paramount, which is why the $165,000 improvements have been made to the turf course proper and Acton synthetic tracks.

The new plastic replaces the older aluminium rail and steel posts.

“Over a number of years we have seen racing improve, moving from old wood rails, then to aluminium and now plastic,” Peter says.

“The new plastic posts are designed to collapse if there is a collision. Obviously, if a horse comes into contact with the plastic, the severity of the injury will be less than if the aluminium rails were there.”

But Peter says he can’t remember such an accident at the Canberra track.

“We take a lot of measures to ensure the safety of horses and jockeys,” he said.

“Racing is a profession of high risk so we do whatever we can to improve safety.”

For Thoroughbred Park, there have been no immediate impacts on insurance premiums, but Peter says one unexpected flow-on effect of the new rails has been a reduction in the staff wage bill.

“We move the rail after most race meetings and what used to take us three days, we can now do in a day,” he said.

The rail is the Fornells brand, invented in Australia by Cranbourne horse trainer Ray Borg and is guaranteed for 20 years.