Flamingo press release

RELEASED BY: Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Limited

The race meeting at Flamingo Park in Kimberley on Monday had to be called off after the running of the first race revealed that the track had not dried as much as had been expected.
Only 36 race meetings are programmed at Flamingo Park annually and Phumelela, in terms of a long-standing arrangement with trainers there, does not abandon meetings beforehand if there seems a reasonable chance of being able to race.
The track manager and two trainers inspected the course the day before and believed there was a good chance the surface would dry sufficiently for racing to take place.
Three jockeys who arrived in Kimberley early on Monday worked horses across the track and agreed that Race 1 should go ahead after which the surface could be reassessed.
The first race was duly run after which the jockeys protested that the going was unsafe and it was unanimously agreed to abandon the meeting.
More than 800mm of rain has been recorded in Kimberley this year – some three times the normal annual rainfall – with 70mm in the seven days leading up to last Monday’s meeting.

spare a thought for those poor owners who transported their horses to Kimberley once again with NO return - & plenty of transport costs. Remember P no longer subsidise transport to Kimberley.

Surely a proper call should have been made at 05.30 - 06.00 BEFORE the bus / flights departed. Again a lot of money wasted on futile trips, for jocks, handlers, visiting trainers etc.

Perhaps 1 x senior stipe needs to be in KIMBERLEY the Sunday night, before racing so he can make a caculated call EARLY ON MONDAY MORNING, or SUNDAY NIGHT IF NEED BE. before all & sundry hit the roads & the airwaves !

I believe the trainers had a meeting on the Sunday regarding if the meeting was to go ahead or not. What was the final decision after that meeting ?

Fair comment Elvis posted something similar on the Flamingo thread