The Gold Coast Turf Club has ramped up security measures ahead of the Magic Millions carnival in response to last year’s track poisoning.
The club is taking no chances following the 2025 incident that forced the high-profile Wave/Sunlight slot race meeting to be shifted to the Sunshine Coast.
Newscorp reported the measures include security dogs, infra-red cameras, high-tech alarms, and a new perimeter fence.
GCTC chief executive Steve Lines said the measures are aimed at preventing any repeat of the chemical sabotage, which was officially classified as vandalism, not staff error.
“We have beefed up security considerably,” Lines told Racenet. “For starters, I’ve got canine security dogs on track from 6pm until trackwork begins.”
The enhanced system includes internal infra-red, alarmed cameras, which trigger alerts upon detecting movement on the track overnight. Additionally, the club has secured five mobile surveillance cameras from Gold Coast City Council, previously used for major public events like the Gold Coast Marathon.
A $100,000 new fence line has been installed along the back of the track, and round-the-clock physical security personnel have been stationed at the venue for over a week.
“Can you protect 43 hectares in its entirety and say it’s totally safe and guaranteed? That’s near impossible. But we’ve done everything we possibly can,” Lines said.
