Quarantine arrangements for some of the world's finest racehorses are under threat with construction work opposite the quarantine centre at Werribee running six weeks over time.
Fairfax Media understands one of the barns at the centre is positioned close to the construction site and the possible noise has deeply concerned Racing Victoria officials.
The construction of the sporting club carried out by the City of Wyndham Council could be detrimental to some of the leading contenders in Australia for this year's Melbourne and Caulfield cups as well as the Cox Plate and numerous other group 1 races.
"We've been made aware of the situation by the Wyndham Council and they're working to set facilities in place to soften any noise coming from the building site," Racing Victoria international recruiting scout Leigh Jordan said on Saturday.
"However we have impressed on them that any distractions to the horses stabled closest to the work site could be upsetting.
"These are finely tuned athletes and their owners have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their passage to Australia. We don't want their hopes of having a uninterrupted preparation thwarted by noise."
Many in racing have been highly critical of Wyndham Council for allowing the construction of the sports centre to fall so far behind, while others fear the sound-proofing of the building site will not be adequate.
Fairfax Media understands the council has spent nearly $200,000 on cargo crates to be set up around the building site in a bid to quell noise.
Possibly the most disadvantaged of all of the horses will be those internationals stabled in the Vintage Crop barn because this area is the closest to the construction area.
Acoustic experts have been brought in to supervise the erection of a sound-proof wall built between the Vintage Crop stables and the construction site by council workers to minimise noise.
Council officials believe noise levels from the construction site after the acoustic wall has been constructed will be no greater than the noise from the passing traffic on Ballan Road.
The owners and trainers of horses coming to Australia this year have been notified of the possible disruption but Racing Victoria has impressed upon all interested parties that there will be no interruption to training racehorses.
It is understood that seven of the 19 internationals to fly into Melbourne next Saturday night will be stabled in the Vintage Crop area.
"We realise what's involved in having the best training environment we can for these stayers and will be doing everything in our power to make sure that the council live up to their promises," Jordan said.
Four Japanese racehorses arrived in Melbourne overnight to be a part of the Melbourne spring carnival.
Among these is the top weight for the Caulfield and Melbourne cups Admire Rakti and stablemate Admire Inazuma. Bande, another cups threat, will be on the flight as will its stablemate Raizan.
In a week's time another 10 hopefuls will be in Melbourne for major spring races.
