Turkish Delight at the Veliefendi Hipodromu, Istanbul.

Leading British equestrian riding surfaces manufacturer Martin Collins Enterprises have just finished installing a new Polytrack synthetic surface on The Turkish Jockey Club’s  iconic Veliefendi Racecouse in Istanbul.

Istanbul’s Veliefendi Racecourse covers over 596, 000sqm.  The Turkish Jockey Club first installed its 1870m long (x 19m wide) synthetic Martin Collin’ s Polytrack surface back in 2009. Over the past eight years the track has provided the racing industry in Istanbul with a consistent, safe surface that has enabled racing to go ahead whatever the weather or conditions.

It was decided at the end of 2017 to completely refurbish and replace it with a new Polytrack surface to ensure that the horses and jockeys can still perform to the best of their abilities and to keep to the racing industry in Turkey at the forefront of the world’s top facilities.  

To refurbish and replace the track took six weeks. Over 8,000 tonnes of Polytrack was manufactured at the Martin Collins headquarters in Lambourn. Shipping the Polytrack out to Istanbul took great logistical skill. Three hundred and twenty, twenty feet long shipping containers were filled with the surface and shipped to Istanbul.  

The first racing on the new Polytrack surface took place in January 2018 and Head of Tracks at The Turkish Jockey Club, Mr Volkan Yildiz commented

“We are very pleased with the feedback received by jockeys and trainers, the Polytrack is very consistent and performing well”