The comments by the Ceo of Gold Circle re the Durban July and the track fiasco.......
He said to The Good on Winning Ways show that a senior many time champion July winning jockey told him that he was not to be blamed in any way for the track but that THE JOCKEYS ERRED IN THAT THEY DID NOT USE THE TRACK CORRECTLY BUT ALL CHOSE TO GO UP THE OUTSIDE!!!
Now there are a few questions to be answered now that we know who is to be blamed for the fiasco.......
1.Is there any publication form guide etc that details the WIDTH of each course?
2.How does the narrowed Greyville track compare to other tight tracks like Durbanville, Kenilworth old course and Scottsville.
3.Will the rules allow for a GR1 MAJOR FEATURE to be run at the above courses with a maximum field of 18 horses taking into account that the WIDTH of the tracks could be very similar to Greyville?
Notwithstanding the above the CEO goes on to say that they will be looking at reducing the false rail to 1 or 2 mts and restricting the field POSSIBLY to 16 runners for the next running of the July.
Now if the jockeys were to be blamed why take remedial action by enforcing the amendments referred to above? :lol:
The point that is so consistent within the local horseracing industry is a continual string of cock-ups, and they continue because it's never anybody's fault.....................so nobody is accountable................and therefore nobody has to change anything! :evil:
I just get infuriated when I hear the spin trying to deflect issues and trying to convince everyone that it's ok to have a mediocre racetrack system in KZN. Who were the brain trust that planned the future of the industry in the province when they decided to lose Clairwood and commit to having Greyville cope with things by putting in a polytrack? Instead of an opportunity to have a showcase centre its ended up being a Second class turf track, with an average polytrack, staging our biggest racing event. Any financial benefit of losing Clairwood has obviously been diverted elsewhere rather than into the areas where it is needed.
As an SA living abroad I find it embarrassing that at a time where our racing industry is being looked at in a favourable light, there are areas where it is marred by inferiority and 3rd world mentality. I guess when you are too close to it ,you don't see the slow creep of acceptance of an ultimately poor situation. That may be ok if you are Escom. But really, in the sport of kings?
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