Sandown racecourse will tomorrow implement revolutionary running lanes and staggered starts throughout its eight-race program.

The landmark trial seeks to address the 'tight' style of riding common to Australian racetracks that is seen to place horses and riders at unnecessary risk.

It is also hoped that more European horses - who traditionally enjoy plenty of galloping room in their races - may be lured over for the 2015 Melbourne Cup should the innovation gain permanent traction.

Some of Australia's leading jockeys have slammed the experiment however, joining a growing chorus of racing identities bemused by administrative attempts to sanitise the sport.

The revolutionary lanes - which were applied to the Sandown surface on Monday - are wide enough to accommodate one-and-a-half horses across, so affording each runner a spacious passage throughout.

Inspired by track athletics events such as the 200m and 400m sprints, the introduction of staggered starting gates will ensure that each horse in the race runs the exact same distance.

The innovation means that horses drawn in the wider barriers will no longer be in danger of getting posted deep and covering extra ground when cornering, so leveling a playing field that for hundreds of years has advantaged inside draws.

Interference will also be virtually eliminated from races, with horses that stray out of their lanes facing disqualification in the stewards' room. It is understood that stewards intend to police lane breaches that occur rounding bends far more stringently than those that take place on straight sections of track.

In order to enforce the new rules each lane has been wired to interact with microchips carried in the horses' saddlecloths, providing visual data to stewards via the Trakus motion tracking system. Trakus was successfully implemented for the William Reid Stakes card at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

The green light for the trial was given last month after Chinese company SmartStart was able to deliver upon the manufacturing deadline for a unique staggered starting apparatus.

SmartStart created the staggered stalls after purchasing a 1999 patent originally intended for American harness racing (more here).

"After extensive research, we are confident that the introduction of staggered starts and lanes will ensure that the best horse is afforded every possible chance to win the race on its own merits," said Racing Victoria spokesperson for Innovation and Development, Ernest Malley.

"Punter confidence has become an increasingly critical issue in the Australian racing landscape, and we are firmly committed to minimising interference, protecting jockeys and providing punters with the fairest possible racing product."

Punter dissatisfaction over questionable jockey performance - such as in the fiery aftermath of Nash Rawiller's losing ride aboard favourite Kermadec in the Australian Guineas - was also cited by Malley as a factor in the decision.

"The age of social media has seen jockeys come under extreme attack from rank and file punters for perceived 'bad' rides on an almost daily basis.

"The fact that it will no longer be possible to cover extra ground during the run will take a large percentage of jockey error out of the equation. This helps protect riders and the sport itself from damaging rants on social media platforms such as Twitter."

In spite of apparent protests from the likes of Bowman, Williams and fellow senior rider Dwayne Dunn, the Australian Jockey's Association signed-off on the trial late last week.

"The Australian Jockey Association supports any initiative that prioritises the best interests of riders," a spokesman said.

The trial is set to be conducted across all four Sandown Wednesday meetings in April, with a decision regarding permanent implementation of lanes and staggered starts across Victorian tracks set to be handed down in early May.