New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing's track experts began inspecting the track yesterday and are expected to finish compiling a report today.
Southland Racing Club president Sean Bellew said it was the club's decision not to hold any further meetings at the track this season.
"It's our own directive.
"We can address the most concerning areas, which are between the 1000m and 300m region, which is lateral-draining across Findlay Rd.
"We have also got a bit of a negative camber because all our our working tracks are sand tracks and that gets windswept and slowly accumulates in the grass. So we might have to level the track out in a few places as well,'' Bellew said.
Repair work will start next month and be completed by the middle of February.
While the track is out of action, the club's remaining meetings this season will be held in Gore, Winton and Riverton.
The Invercargill Gold Cup will be held in Winton on February 21, with the distance extended by 200m from a year ago to 2800m.
Invercargill's Christmas at the Races event was held at Ascot Park last weekend, and turned into a "phantom meeting'' when the track was deemed not up to scratch.
Races were instead run at Winton and screened at Ascot Park on two giant screens.
"The reality is, it hasn't had any maintenance on it for over 40 years,'' Bellew said.
"It's very tired. It's like your grandmother, it needs a bit of face work.
"It's an inherited problem and we just have to show some initiative and say enough is enough. We have got to give confidence to the industry and we've got to give confidence to the public. They don't want to come back and have more phantom meetings.''
