Fairview Poly Feedback

There were compliments all around for the new Polytrack at Fairview
Racecourse in Port Elizabeth.
The track was given a baptism of fire over the weekend but came through it
in radiant glory. Initially just the first three races on Friday were to be
run on it but incessant rain forced officials to move all 10 races of
Sunday’s Algoa Cup meeting to the new all-weather track.
Trainers Alan Greeff and Yvette Bremner came out in full support of the
meeting being moved. “When we walked the course on Saturday there was a lot
of water. We know where the weak points are,” said Greeff.
“There was talk of running the Algoa Cup on the turf and the rest on the
Polytrack but the decision was then taken to move the entire meeting. At
around 4pm on Saturday I thought we may have acted a touch prematurely but
we had more rain overnight. When I went to the course on Sunday morning I
knew it would have been impossible to race on the turf.
“It’s not the ideal choice but it served its purpose. The results were more
than fair. I had horses who ran a lot better on the Poly than I expected.
This morning (Monday) the tracks were buggered but the Polytrack was very
busy. We were all able to work out horses,” said Greeff.
“I am more than happy and all the jockeys who rode for me were all very
complimentary.”
Bremner echoed Greeff’s sentiments. “Obviously the jockeys have to get
used to the pace of the track but the course is very good and the
transition to the Poly was excellent. I only had one horse pull up a little
bit jarred, but he’s a youngster. The rest are fine.
“I absolutely agreed for meeting to be moved. If they had started on the
turf they would never have completed the meeting.”
The jockeys were equally delighted with the track. Robbie Fradd, who rode
Disco Al to victory in the Algoa Cup, asked Racing Association CEO Larry
Wainstein: “Can’t we pack up this track and take it to Joburg?”
Fradd added: “The track is amazing. The horses will come back and tomorrow
they won’t feel their legs. Had they not had the track they would not have
been able to save the meeting.
“It might have cost a lot to build but in five years you will recoup your
money.
“I love it. There is not much kickback and the horses handle it well. Hats
off to Phumelela for building it.
“Let’s do it in Joburg. We won’t regret it. During winter it is a lot
kinder on the horses’ legs.”
Greg Cheyne has ridden on Polytracks in other countries. “It was absolutely
fantastic. The horses held their ground nicely and no one was slipping
around the turn. It may look tight but it’s as good as any Polytrack
anywhere in the world.”
Francois Herholdt, who rode runner-up Storm Dancer in the Algoa Cup said
that not a negative comment came out of the jockey room. “We work on the
Polytrack at Randjesfontein but there is a difference between working
horses and race riding. This Polytrack is as good, if not better, than any
of the tracks I’ve ridden on anywhere in the world.
But the final test lies with the racing public. “In the two days we raced
on the Polytrack the turnovers were outstanding,” said Betting Executive
Vee Moodley.
“I was very impressed with the two R50,000 Quartet carryovers. The first
was above R300,000 and the second just below. But the most amazing feature
was the Win pool of around R205,000 in Race 3. It was the highest pool of
the day! It tells me the public were confident enough to have a go.”
However, added Moodley, yesterday was the cherry on the top. “Last year the
meeting took place on 25 November on the grass and this time it was 27
October on Polytrack. Nobody knew how the horses would run and usually when
we change track there is an automatic drop in turnovers.
“Not this time. TAB turnover was about 4,5% up on last year.
“Ultimately the proof of the pudding is in the numbers.”

Thanx Dorrie appreciate the feedback Regards

is the same company who built the fairview track doing the greyville track?

Anyone know the shelf life of this poly track before it starts to degrade?

I'm amazed that nobody has commented about the camera angles.......everyone happy with how you viewed racing on the poly?

Tommy_Hotspur Wrote:

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> I'm amazed that nobody has commented about the
> camera angles.......everyone happy with how you
> viewed racing on the poly?


don't get me started.........and it would be nice if they could bolt one or two of them down...or is the entire stand that shakes....?

Tommy_Hotspur Wrote:

---

> I'm amazed that nobody has commented about the
> camera angles.......everyone happy with how you
> viewed racing on the poly?


Not so much the camera angles but the distance from the track that the pictures are taken from

Have to get Bonski with his hand held keeping up with the race

scotia Wrote:

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> Have to get Bonski with his hand held keeping up
> with the race


Have bicycle.......will travel....

Definitely less kickback than yesterday's Bingo Park and today's Vaal River Sand.

From a viewer's point on Tv the picture is terrible b'cos the rails are prominent in the front and the Winning Post is a long pole which should have a flag on it perhaps.

Mac Wrote:

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> Anyone know the shelf life of this poly track
> before it starts to degrade?

......how long is a piece of string.....:S

.....but seriously it depends on the traffic and the natural elements.....the track behaved particularly well because of the high rainfall and the substrates being almost "new".....the real test of this surface will come in the drier, hotter periods not as yet known to the global teams that lay these surfaces.....in time the polymers/plastic will degrade because they have very little or no UV resistance....these are degrading before they are even mixed into the substrate....then I believe that the track is also for working the horses and as the traffic increases the physical breakdown of shearing/grinding of the silca/sand and the polymer composite will be accelerated.....then we come to the periods of what is known as Berg wind weather..... where dry off shore winds blow extremely warm dry as high as 40deg....this will cause the wax to melt and drag(gravitate) the now broken down fines (silica and degraded plastics) below the upper surface and compact.....the track will become faster and less "springy".....they will be forced to harrow and water more frequently and the mixture of fines and wax will clump on the surface after harrowing....I predict that the clumps even though broken down through harrowing will be sticky and briefly attatch to hoof inner surface and get flung in a compact kick back.....in these periods it would be better to start extensive maintainance mixing in new polymer and silica and sifting out the fines....:

On another note, how do the UK tracks behave with the sleet and snow that is xpcted in winter. We have seen them racing in the snow at Wolves and Lingfield etc.