Poll - VAAL SAND CLOSURE

As a punter an owner a trainer/jockey or a spectator are you happy that the Vaal sand track is closing?





PHUMELELA MEDIA RELEASE
SUBJECT: Vaal sand to be replaced by turf
DATE: 29 July 2015
RELEASED BY: PHUMELELA GAMING

Phumelela is to replace the problematic sand track at the Vaal with a turf
surface in what is strategically the first step towards the installation of
a synthetic racing surface in Johannesburg.
Turf is the best racing surface in summer, but on the Highveld during
winter grass tracks become hard and divot repairs cause inconsistencies.
The need for an alternative racing surface to turf on the Highveld during
winter was the reason for the introduction of the Vaal sand track in 2001.
Unfortunately, the sand track has been dogged by a range of opinions and
criticisms, and replacing the top layer of washed river sand with unwashed
river sand a few years back at the request of horsemen has exacerbated,
rather than resolved, the problems.
It’s also dubious whether the Vaal sand track is environmentally or
commercially sustainable into the future. The track requires copious
volumes of water that are currently freely available from the Vaal River,
but that may not be the case in years to come.
Taking all factors into account, plus that replacing the entire top layer
of sand on the track again would not necessarily solve the problems,
Phumelela management first consulted with a cross section of trainers and
then recommended to the Phumelela board that the sand be replaced with
turf.
The board ratified the recommendation last week and the sand track will be
closed after the last of six meetings scheduled there in October.
The sand will then be lifted and stockpiled for use elsewhere. Once the
sand is lifted from the 60,000 square metre track, work will begin on
creating a suitable medium for grass to grow in. The new grass has already
been ordered and is scheduled to be laid in January.
The configuration of the track will remain unchanged and all going well the
first race meeting on the track will be held in May next year.
It’s a similar timeframe to replacing the grass on the Turffontein
standside track last year, a project that was successfully completed within
three months.
“An enormous amount of energy, money and time has gone into the Vaal sand
track down the years, but the complaints are endless and it’s unlikely that
all stakeholders will ever be satisfied. Plus the sustainability of the
track is questionable,” said Phumelela Horseracing Executive Patrick Davis.
“The best long-term solution is to replace the sand with turf and once the
new turf track is proven as a racing surface, the way will then be open to
replace the existing inside turf surface at Turffontein with a synthetic
surface like Polytrack. Such a surface will solve winter going issues on
the Highveld and lessen the pressure on the turf tracks and the number of
race meetings lost to rain,” Davis added.
Replacing the sand with turf will result in race meetings that would have
been run on sand during the transition period having to be switched to the
two existing Vaal turf tracks and the Turffontein standside and inside
tracks.
The bulk of these meetings will be held on the Turffontein inside track,
which will consequently not be fully reconditioned during spring this year
in order to be ready for racing earlier than normal.
“It’s a real challenge but my team has spent days planning how best to deal
with it and we are confident that the extra meetings can be accommodated on
the turf tracks without compromising the going. And we have a bit of
flexibility that the new Vaal turf track may be ready before next May if
the weather is favourable,” Davis said.

Talk about passing the buck,regarding horsemen.Im sure the jocks wanted a sound and safe surface.What is put down,is the sole responsibility of the owners and track management.
It should have read," surface needed changing or improving and WE messed it up,sorry for the inconveniance and disruption,we will make amends"
Then try calling the horsemen what they are,jockeys surely.

I voted no because there was a time when the track was in excellent condition and the form was fairly consistent and made money. Its sad that the game is about making dividends for share holders, if they had to resurface and maintain properly it would mean less profit for shareholders.Sad state this game has become.

Such a shame to read how many courses have shut down over the past 20 years or so and even more when you read that the Poly at Durban has made the turf racing a farce with the tight run in.

The Vaal turf tracks are just as bad with their bias

I have 5 horses in shares and one for a 100% I just won't let my horses run there especially in 2015 the track is in terrible condition before 2015 the track was doing good and yeah maybe I would have let them run there. If the track gets fixed and gets back to 100% condition I think there will be much more people there supporting and more trainers. Maybe Bloemfontein will open again I read in the newspaper Bloem is building a new race course.

BATMAN wrote: I voted no because there was a time when the track was in excellent condition and the form was fairly consistent and made money. Its sad that the game is about making dividends for share holders, if they had to resurface and maintain properly it would mean less profit for shareholders.Sad state this game has become.

I voted no because of the amount of runners that are beat double digit lengths every meeting

timothy wrote: I have 5 horses in shares and one for a 100% I just won't let my horses run there especially in 2015 the track is in terrible condition before 2015 the track was doing good and yeah maybe I would have let them run there. If the track gets fixed and gets back to 100% condition I think there will be much more people there supporting and more trainers. Maybe Bloemfontein will open again I read in the newspaper Bloem is building a new race course.

Is that your colours Timothy ? Don't recongnise them

Was there no way they could of relayed a new sand track??

The bottom line Greg is that I don't think they wanted the track any more. They have had plenty chance to make it better and shown no interest in doing so. It has either been their intention for some time for it to go or they have been sorely lacking in taking action. It could of course be both.

I won't complain at the closure because it might be the right move, it is clearly evident the track has huge issues now. What I will say is that it is fine for Phum to consult trainers etc now but, some directly involved and some here have been highlighting "issues" to be solved for at least a year or more and that is when proper discussion/consultation should have happened. Nip the problems in the bud not when it is all too late.

What they should have been doing is consulting and acting on a consistent basis over time to ensure the problems which have ultimately ruined the course never happened. It is their failure and their failure alone imho. They make themselves look even worse by their continuous failure to accept responsibility for anything. They remind me of a bunch of school kids always trying to make up a story which points the finger elsewhere. The fact that no-one really ever believes them only highlights their ineptitude, even school kids are sometimes successful in that! :whistle:

For me, any track closure is a bad thing. One that offered something a little different and, as Batman says, for a long time offered far more consistency than many a turf course, is particularly disappointing.

The only practical purpose for racing on any surface, other than turf ,is an "all weather" factor ...........which Vaal (or Flamingo) sand has never provided ,so good riddance IMO! :evil:

Bob Brogan wrote:

timothy wrote: I have 5 horses in shares and one for a 100% I just won't let my horses run there especially in 2015 the track is in terrible condition before 2015 the track was doing good and yeah maybe I would have let them run there. If the track gets fixed and gets back to 100% condition I think there will be much more people there supporting and more trainers. Maybe Bloemfontein will open again I read in the newspaper Bloem is building a new race course.

Is that your colours Timothy ? Don't recongnise them

Bob I work under a syndicate at this moment that's the colors I am designing for my own how does it look?