Work is underway to expand Cranbourne’s harness racing training centre, including a stable and yard upgrade that will pave the way for more trainers to base at the facility.

The centre, which has produced more than 260 winners since its opening, is adding accommodation for 20 more walk-in, walk-out stables and yards, including a new 240 square metre barn with internal feed and tack rooms.

It’s also introducing four new quarter-acre paddocks to compliment those that already exist.

Cranbourne Harness Racing Centre president David Scott said the club was “grateful to Harness Racing Victoria and the Andrews Government for their support of this project”.

“We have long held the view that there is a need to grow participation to the south-east of Melbourne,” Scott said.

“We have identified that by creating, and now expanding, facilities at the Cranbourne Training Centre we can make an important contribution to realising that goal.”

Operating since September 2012, the centre previously housed up to 50 horses on course and 12 professional and hobbyist trainers, who have access to three maintained tracks, including the 945m racetrack, an equine treadmill, eight-horse walking machine and 24-metre pool.

Scott said the club committed substantial money to the initial build and was now investing further to the project, which would “allow us to actively recruit more trainers to the area”.

“The configuration of the 20 new stables and yards in clusters of five will allow us to accommodate a single trainer or multiple trainers depending on their needs,” he said.

“It will just be a matter of how we create secure compounds around one or more of those clusters to house individual trainers.”

Works have commenced onsite and the club was keen to enter discussions with would-be tenants.

“The sheds have been pre-fabricated off site and things are coming together quickly now that the builders are onsite,” he said.

“Optimistically we’d hope to get to opening the new facilities in late February. We’d be keen to talk to anyone whose interested on a confidential basis. And we don’t have an expectation that people will commit immediately – a move of this sort will no doubt involve a lot of thought and planning if it is to occur and we respect that.”

Trainers seeking more information can contact the club's Racing Manager Cameron Gallagher on 0411 126 615.