NSW Harness Racing Club officials heralded "a new beginning" for their code when they hosted almost 1000 people at the revamped Menangle Park Paceway open day on Sunday.

Formerly used by the club as a midweek race and trials venue, the Menangle makeover - which includes Australia's first 1400m track, refurbished grandstands, bars, dining areas and landscaped public areas - is set to succeed Harold Park as the premier harness racing venue in NSW.

A vote by club members in August will determine if Harold Park, in Glebe, will be offered for sale and proceeds poured into making Menangle, 10km south of Campbelltown, an even greater racing and training centre.

Since August 2006, an estimated one million tonnes of sandstone, clay and shale from 183 sites in Sydney have raised the site by up to 4m in some sections.

United States track expert Dan Coon spent eight weeks supervising the final construction stages and the end result has club officials, members, owners, trainers and drivers excited.

Club chairman Rex Horne has been the driving force behind the $5.98 million redevelopment, one that will be delivered much cheaper thanks to generosity of suppliers of materials and the enormous amount of voluntary labour provided - including help that erected 11/2km of Colorbond fencing round the outside of the track.

"The transformation has been unbelievable," Horne said. "We've been calling Dan Coon about every third day to give him updates, plus talking to the trainers about their (track) views.

"There are a few little things to do - finish refurbishing the grandstand, finishing the (judges') tower, adding carpet, some landscaping, but it's come a long way."

Originally scheduled to open late last month, wet weather forced a delay and the club now plans to stage two Tuesday meetings in June before the official opening on "Super Sunday" - June 29.



"We're hoping to fit 7000 people out the front and about the same out the back in corporate marquees," Horne said.

"We'll stage a record seven Group One races (worth $700,000 in prizemoney) - including four Sires' Stakes, the Len Smith Mile, the Ladyship Mile and a $50,000 trotters' race."



Club chief executive John Dumesny said the huge open-day turnout had buoyed the management's decision to start the redevelopment.

"The response has been phenomenal," he said. "A thousand people I'd say. We advertised it from 11am till 1pm but we had 200 people here at 8 o'clock this morning. We've got a little way to go, but this is a great boost for our confidence."