Dickinson, a former successful jockey and record-breaking trainer in England and the US, promised an even playing field that would give all horses an equal chance of winning - and that's what he delivered.

Leaders dominated early but as the quality of the fields improved and the tempo of the races increased, it soon became obvious that there was no bias.

Dickinson, whose company Tapeta Footings also sponsors the track, closely monitored the times and racing patterns throughout the day.

"It's what we aimed for - the times have been good, very close to what we predicted for each distance, and horses have been winning from the front and back," he said.

The track also won a stamp of approval from trainers and jockeys, while Racing Minister Bryan Green, who performed the official opening, was clearly pleased with the public and industry response to the state's first synthetic surface.

"The feedback has all been good and I think this is the start of an exciting new era for racing on the North-West Coast and in Tasmania," he said.

The Devonport Racing Club fought hard for a synthetic track - even though some in the industry were, at first, sceptical - to give Tasmania a venue that would not be at the mercy of the weather.

Tasracing then put its weight behind the project and, after lengthy research, it was decided that the Tapeta design was the best in the world.

Chairman Graeme Russell said the end result clearly vindicated the club's efforts.

And Tasracing chairman Brian Speers and chief executive Gary Lottering were equally pleased that, for once, most people in the racing industry were in agreement - Tapeta Park is a winner.