THIS patch of kikuyu grass, all 10,000 square metres of it, is arguably Australia's most hallowed turf.The replacement turf is being grown in the Hawkesbury - at a cost of more than $2 million, mostly to the Catholic Church - in an attempt to save the lucrative Spring Carnival from possible cancellation.
After the thoroughbred racing industry battled through equine influenza, extraordinary efforts are being made to ensure that neither rain nor the collective weight of 300,000 pilgrims will damage Royal Randwick's track surface during the World Youth Day closing Mass to be presided over by Pope Benedict XVI in July.
News of the turf for Royal Randwick emerged after it was revealed that at least half of Hyde Park would be closed for up to three months to restore lawns trampled by pilgrims - at a cost of at least $100,000 to the State Government.
The grass being grown for the racecourse is a sterile kikuyu that grows well in sun and heat, and is suitable for high-traffic areas, as it can repair itself quickly.
It matches the type used at the racecourse and has been grown in a 10-centimetre soil profile of sand, soil and fibre to ensure it will knit into the track surface.
After the last pilgrim leaves, the Catholic Church has five weeks to restore the racecourse.
The Government's World Youth Day spokeswoman, Kristine Keneally, said: "The quality of racecourse turf is important - akin to the water temperature in an Olympic pool or the grading of the ice in an ice-skating rink, and the NSW Government is ensuring that, once World Youth Day is over, Randwick can return to normal operations as soon as possible.
"Our plan to keep Randwick racecourse on track is twofold: protecting turf that's already there, and growing 10,000 square metres of new turf in case the existing grass is damaged during the event."
The first line of defence for the Australian Jockey Club will be hard plastic bedding, which will be provided at a cost of $5 million.
The bedding is as big as 20 football fields, the largest single area covered by such material in Australian history. It will be laid on high-traffic areas, including the route of the Popemobile and access points for ambulances and police.
This type of turf protection is used regularly for concerts and other big functions, including events at The Domain, and Australia Day celebrations at The Rocks and Darling Harbour.
"A turf protection system will be laid over existing race and training tracks at Randwick - a combination of light- and heavy-duty material similar to the system used in the 1997 final Mass which was held at Longchamps Racecourse in Paris," Ms Keneally said.
"Longchamps was ready for racing three weeks after the Mass, meaning that there were no race meetings cancelled or rearranged as a result of World Youth Day."
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