History

In February, Mick Sullivan was appointed Chief Executive Officer.

The Caloundra Cup Changed from a mid-week carnival to a stand alone metropolitian Saturday, combining Caloundra Cup, Glasshouse Handicap and Sunshine Coast Guineas on the one programme.

Ensuring that views were not obstructed from the Members Enclosure, shade sails were installed over the Champagne Garden as this area has been very popular for bookings.

As the Club’s lease was nearing expiry and the Club needed security beyond the expiry date of 31st December 2012, Sunshine Coast Turf Club approached Racing Queensland and negotiations began regarding the possibilities of the Racing Industry purchasing the freehold from Caloundra City Council.

In late 2008, Racing Queensland invested $7.1 million into a development project at Corbould Park that saw the installation of 960 lights, 40 towers and two million watts of brightness! In addition, a 40sqm large outdoor screen was installed on the inside of the track making Corbould Park one for the first racing clubs to have a permanent screen.   The revolutionary synthetic racetrack (“Cushion Track”) was installed in 2008. The cushion track provides an all-weather racing surface and was the first of its kind in Australia.

During 2010, Racing Queensland assumed operational management of racing at Corbould Park which included track, stabling and staff.  The Sunshine Coast Turf Club retained the right to manage the day-to-day operations and maintain the facility. During this period, Racing Queensland saw the need to establish an On-Course Stabling Complex.  The current structure which accommodates 256 horses within the grounds of Corbould Park was constructed. The new state-of-the-art facility enticed both interstate and international trainers to call the Sunshine Coast home.

With the change of Government and Racing Queensland administration, the Sunshine Coast Turf Club was re-instated to the role of racing and track management. The change of administration took place on 1 August and included the management of Racing Queensland’s On-Course Stabling Complex. Construction to the Champagne Garden saw the addition of a full lock up bar with storeroom, new tote facilities and a fully operational kitchen with state-of-the-art cooking facilities.  The renovations were completed in time for Ladies Oaks Day and this area soon became the premier event space at Corbould Park.

After seven years of operation, the bottom layer of sand compacted on the Cushion Track, which required a total turnover of Cushion Track material.  The work took two excavators three weeks to complete and was completed without any impact to operations or daily training.

The redevelopment plans continued throughout 2016 with the installation of a permanent Marquee structure, to cater for groups of 30-60 people, on the lower Members Terrace. Refurbishments transformed the Burger Bar into the now Furlong Café. The outdoor screen was replaced with a large 55sqm screen and a total upgrade to the track irrigation system was completed.

2018 saw further upgrades completed at Corbould Park with the installation of fibre optic internet cabling, new turnstiles and ticketing systems. The new technology replaced  the second-hand turnstiles installed in 2011 and enabled further advancements in technology for the Club. During the lead up to the 2018 Melbourne Cup, Queensland races came to a standstill as an alliance of trainers, jockeys, owners and breeders announced plans to strike over the Government’s handling of the Point of Consumption Tax.  Following discussions, the Queensland Government brokered a deal with the Racing Industry and negotiations saw an increase of $26 million of prize money for Queensland thoroughbred TAB race meetings. After a period of uncertainty brought about by the strike action, the Melbourne Cup celebrations went ahead as planned. However, the threat of strike action proved to have significant commercial implications for the Club with the lowest reported crowd attendance in ten years. Despite this, not everyone was put off by a visit to Corbould Park, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison making an appearance at the Sunshine Coast Turf Club and enjoying a beer and a punt.