York Racecourse restored with Barenbrug Bar 50 SOS

York Racecourse credits Barenbrug's BAR 50 SOS with the speedy and successful restoration of grass cover to track disturbed during drainage works.

Head groundsman Adrian Kay and his team recently completed a two-year, £2.5million track development project to install the entire course with a new drainage system. The extensive work incorporated excavated sandslits, and carrier-, main- and lateral-drains as well as a new turf canter-down, irrigation system and newly constructed south bend extension. In order to restore cover to the track quickly and effectively, Adrian selected Barenbrug's rapid turf repair mixture, BAR 50 SOS.

"We usually use a perennial ryegrass, but this doesn't achieve such good results during the cooler months," he explains. "So I decided to give BAR 50 SOS a try on a few areas of track after hearing good things about it from within the industry. I was very impressed with the results."

Adrian's chief concern was achieving establishment that could withstand the rigours of racing in time for the course's first race meeting in May. With BAR 50 SOS specifically bred by Barenbrug Research for its quick and superior establishment, germination in temperatures as low as three degrees centigrade and amenity turf characteristics, this unique ryegrass blend didn't disappoint.

"The seed was sown from November through to April," Adrian adds. "When the weather is not ideal growing conditions, getting the right establishment is the most important thing. Fortunately, the establishment phase was very quick and the grass has held up well since the meetings started."

Adrian says he will certainly incorporate BAR 50 SOS into future track repair work. As he concludes: "Because we're a summer racing track, flat racing from May to October, we don't have as much need for it as jump and National Hunt courses. But if I needed to use it again in cooler, winter conditions for remedial or maintenance work between, say, October and March, then I wouldn't hesitate. The SOS did a great job."

For further information on BAR 50 SOS, call Barenbrug on 01359 272000 or email info@baruk.co.uk to request a free product leaflet. Alternatively, the leaflet can be downloaded from www.barenbrug.co.uk.