So lets start at the beginning of this issue. After the recent revamp of the Vaal surface, when new sand with a higher percentage of fines was introduced, the track was very good and there were no complaints for the first 3 or 4 months. And then things started to change. There were clear indications that the maintenance routines had changed. At about same time, our track manager retired and our new track manager began his term. In truth, he started on a hiding to nothing, as there were continual complaints at the time, about the looseness of the sand and about meetings being lost due to very little rain etc.
This is a unique track, completely different to the Kimberley surface, as it uses the local sand from the area. (Even if we wanted the Kimberley sand, Transport alone would be about R15M...). The maintenance of this track is specialised and indeed, very challenging. We have been pressuring for changes and the staff have responded. Here is the specific background to Yesterday's debacle -
THE COMPLAINTS
1)Jocks felt that the surface was too loose, more of a Training Track, than a Racing Track.
2)Jocks were finding that some horses (about 5%) were slipping as they left the stalls.
3)Jocks felt that the kickback was severe.
4)Jocks reported that many horses hesitated during a race, because of the kickback.
5)Jocks reported that this kickback forced them, then, to ride differently, eg go handier and quicker than normal, early in the race in order to avoid the kickback.
6)At this point, there were no reports or complaints regarding the Horse friendliness of the track.
7)In essence, the track needed firming up, which would reduce kickback. As simple as it sounded, it was to be a very complex endeavour, given the nature of the sand itself.
MEETINGS
1)It was agreed at RA's Industry liaison meeting, for the Trainers and Jocks to meet with PGL Staff and the clear instruction from RA was for all to urgently work towards a solution.
2)The biggest turnout at the meeting, which took place at Vaal was from the Trainers Committee and Pgl staff. The large group of complaining jocks were noted by their absence. Only Piere Strydom took the time to attend the meeting. (this tells its own story)....
3)Various ideas and strategies were discussed.
4)In the end, two things were clear, from this meeting -
a)The staff were extremely willing to put in a huge effort,
b)There is just no simple solution to the kickback on the surface, even though it is very horse friendly.
5)Staff would immediately begin with the maintenance which they could do, in the limited time between scheduled meetings and they would plan towards putting the big work in during the two week break, from which we returned Yesterday.
APPLICATION
1) During the few weeks before the break, various applications were tried but it became clear that the fines had sunk and that the top of the sand thus had too little of these fines to bind them in order to create the necessary firmness, which would reduce kickback.
2)They had to do this during the 2 week break. They would have to "mix" the sand up again and then repack it.
3)This was done and the track appeared to be binding a lot better, going into Yesterday's meeting.
RACEDAY
1)So it rained. The same amount of rain which, in the past, had resulted in us losing a Vaal Sand meeting.
2)Representatives met in the morning to decide on whether to race or abandon.
3)When we met, we found the following -
a)Whilst our Training tracks were flooded, the sand course looked perfect.
b)During our inspection, we noted that the usual water which would lie on the track was gone. Especially down the inside, at the run off areas, the drainage was working perfectly. This, in itself, was a huge improvement in our opinions, as this had not been the case for the last two years.
c)The normal "slush" which would lie on the surface after even 10mm of rain, was non existent.
d)On a drive around the course, I could not find any inconsistencies. I was amazed, as this was new to me. These guys had not only put in the hours, but they had effected huge changes through their efforts.
4)The remaining prep for the day, was to put the track packer onto the surface, in order to finish off the firmness and in final prep for race 1. This was done at about 10h30.
PRE MEDITATED
1)After the sms went out, declaring the meeting to be ON, I received a host of calls. Some jocks also called me and I detected a definite reluctance to come out to Vaal and race. I was becoming aggravated......
2)Then the call came from someone who told me that an Owner on his way to see his runner had been told by his Trainer not to bother coming, as his horse had been scratched, based upon the story spread on the DAY BEFORE in Kimberley. The jocks were going to ride the first race and then strike against the going. So, why waste money on transport ???
3)Then another call (not to me), from a visiting Trainer, who asked if he should still bring his horses, in light of the pending jockeys strike.
4) I called Piere and asked him to be his normal self and tell it like it is, after the first race. I reminded him that as the only jock present at our meeting, he had called for an extra effort in track preps and that this had been done. Piere is a very consistent person and he has always maintained that the main problem with Vaal Sand was that it was not the right sand for Racing. At same time he has conceded that the cost of other sand, from another area, would be prohibitive, based on the figures which had been forwarded to us. Over the years, the ability to agree to disagree on matters and issues has stood the two of us in good staid.
AT THE RACES
1) After the first race, Piere came back smiling. The track was better than it was in years. At same time, Gavin Lerena allegedly went into the board room and stated same.
2) The one concern was that the track, if it has one consistency, has the tendency to loosen up during the course of a raceday. This is simply because the prep to get it into the exact condition as for race 1, would take far longer than the time between races. One would need about 70 minutes between races. This is why, a few years ago, we had Sand/Turf meetings on same day.
3) There are three different implements used to prepare the Sand track. The first is the Track conditioner. There are three of them, pulled behind three tractors, side by side, thus covering the width of the racing surface. These are the ones normally used between races. They simply "tickle" the sand, from in front of the rollers in order to cover the divots and then the rollers roll over the tickled area, again compacting the sand. The second is the "float". In essence, this is a flat plate drawn behind the tractor, which flattens the surface. It is used in wet conditions. There are also 3 of them, behind 3 tractors, covering the surface. And the third is the track packer. This is used to compact the track during maintenance and again, between races to compact the high traffic areas around the turn.There is only one track packer and it spans about 4m in width.
4) After the first race, the floats were used, as this would keep the surface level and flat, reduce kickback etc.
5) It was used again in race 3. But after putting the float on after race 3 , it was becoming evident that some divots were not being completely covered. Thus the slight delay to race 4, as the Track Conditioners were used , straight after the floats, in order to cover the divots.
6) Everyone was well aware that we had a wet meeting on our hands and those who have been racing on this track were aware that we had crossed some boundaries in that a few months earlier we would not even have run the first race. And, it is common sense that in wet conditions, even on turf, there will be kickback and yes, the jockeys breeches would get dirty. ( To be honest and given the weather at the moment, I am worried about Saturday's big meeting....if Yesterday's reaction is anything to go by.)
7)So, after the 4th race, complaints came in from the jocks, about the kickback....
8)Later in the day, they wanted the conditioner on first and the float after that, to reduce kickback. More delays as the staff tried to accomodate the jocks.....and they still were not happy. And the meeting was abandoned.
AFTER
1)I went and spoke to Piere, who had no ride in the 6th. He said that he had tucked his horse in, in a previous race and that the kickback was harsh, given the mass of it, due to it being wet. Whilst I was chatting to Piere, the jocks started weighing in. As they came in, Piere was asking them for their opinions. This turned into a bit of a joke for me -
a) I never heard ONE jock complain of the going being uneven. But Robbie Fradd did, got off for the rest of the day and went home , declaring that horses were going "in" and then racing "on top"
b) Fransie Herholdt complained that the track was worse during race 6.
c) Gunther Wroggemann came up and said that it was a lot better during race 6.:S
CLOSING
1) The track was miles better than it has been during the last 6 months , but the rain made it difficult to prove.
2) The biggest challenge will be to retain the moisture , in order to retain the firmness during the dry months.
3) The work/development of the surface must be ongoing. It must keep improving.
QUESTIONS
1) Could the track not possibly have been a lot better than we believe, given the apparently well laid plans to strike after race 1
and the ongoing changes between races which the jocks demanded ?
2) Could the whole saga possibly be connected to the jocks demanding an increase to their riding fees at present ?
3) Given the negative impact on Yesterday's meeting, will the NHRA hold a full enquiry into the allegations that some jocks had planned to disrupt the meeting beforehand ?
Topic Author
