By Jordan Gerrans
Nevesh Ramdhani has hit the ground running on the Glitter Strip of Australia as the respected racecourse manager takes control of Aquis Park’s facilities at an important time for the industry on the Gold Coast.
As Gold Coast Turf Club Executive Manager of Racing and Integrity Ian Brown notes, their club looks more like a construction site than a race track at the moment and Ramdhani’s knowledge and experience will be vital in the coming months and years.
State-of-the-art broadcast lighting for night racing, an all-weather synthetic track, refurbishment of racing surfaces, and an in-field tunnel to enhance equine welfare will be delivered as part of the project currently being constructed.
Ramdhani started at the Gold Coast earlier this year after previously working as the Australian Turf Club’s General Manager of Racecourses since 2019 and Racecourse Manager at Royal Randwick for eight years before that.
"The wife and kids have been settling in well and from a personal perspective, the family are really enjoying it and we are looking forward to the summer," Ramdhani said.
It was a significant tick of approval for the Gold Coast club to land a person of Ramdhani’s background in the industry.
“Nevesh has been a fantastic coup for the club,” Brown said.
“With a reputation like his, he brings a lot of professionalism in what we are trying to do, become a metropolitan facility.
“He has good experience with track redevelopments through his time at the ATC, where he managed four tracks.
“We spoke to him 12-18 months ago and he said he was looking for a lifestyle change and that suited us.
“Fortunately for us, and for racing in the state as a whole, he has made the decision to come up.”
In his prior role in Sydney, Ramdhani managed four of the biggest facilities in the country and now can focus in on the Gold Coast and Beaudesert.
Like Brown, Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell described Ramdhani's appointment as a "great coup" for the industry in the state.
"He is an esteemed global track supervisor and curator of great acclaim both in South Africa and in Sydney more recently," Parnell said.
"To bring someone of his global standing just before this huge project is great, not just for the turf club, but for racing in the Sunshine State to track people of his calibre.
"It is a hugely significant project for the state and to bring Nevesh on board for it, it is great for everyone involved."
The Gold Coast track has long been managed by Steve Andrews – who was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame earlier this month – and Brown thinks they now have a great team going forward.
“We are very fortunate to have Nevesh and his experience will only help Steve Andrews, who has been at our club for numerous years,” Brown said.
“Steve has done great job and now to be able provide him and his team better support to do what they need to do on a daily basis, that is great for everyone.”