Vaal sand track - who will carry the can?

mikesack wrote: What I liked about the Vaal Sand racing was that there was always pace in a race from the jump and that horses seldom bunched or finished in a blanket like one sees more often now on the poly.

Also from a spectator point of view the poly racing is just too helter skelter to be appreciated as good enjoyable racing.

Rather bring on the dogs, I am already a fan of the trots.

Dog racing doesnt suit the money men

Englander wrote:

rob faux wrote:

tottenham wrote: What is it about the racing authorities that people are frighten to take them on. I would like one prick to threaten me and he will see his arse very quick.

If anybody was going to be threatened by "P" ,why not me .............I have been very critical of their management!

(Ironical , I guess , that I support their decision on the Vaal sand .......polytrack makes a lot more sense to me as an alternate surface!)

Just out of interest Rob, would the Vaal sand track be your least, or one of your least, profitable tracks?

Nobody seems to dispute that the racing surface is inconsistent which causes horses to finish as much as 30 lengths apart ........trying to use normal (relative to sand surfaces) handicap ratings tends to be often pointless as they seldom stand up - if handicapping is your basis of analysis it follows that results will be volatile so I curtail investment in those circumstances -
There are a few patterns which do tend to give positive returns,but they are rare!
It follows ,therefore,that I'm delighted with the operators decision!

Anybody read Mike Azzie's comments in the Star about the closure?

Maybe big rab could find it for us? Quite interesting reading.......

Chris van Buuren wrote: Anybody read Mike Azzie's comments in the Star about the closure?

Maybe big rab could find it for us? Quite interesting reading.......

When was the article? canie find it captain

Bob Brogan wrote:

Chris van Buuren wrote: Anybody read Mike Azzie's comments in the Star about the closure?

Maybe big rab could find it for us? Quite interesting reading.......

When was the article? canie find it captain

I saw it quoted in the comments section of the Sporting post about the Deputy Jud winning the SC on Saturday. Have a look see but due to it being another commentator who posted it, I didn't want to copy and paste.

Apparently it was published on Gold Circle web site..................... :huh:

Azzie is one of many who is sad about the pending discontinuation of the Vaal Sand surface. He said, “When the plan to build the Vaal Sand track was embarked upon, many of us put pressure on them not to do it, but they proved us completely wrong. The sand surface offered a lifeline for so many horses that were going nowhere on the turf, so it is going to be missed for this reason by owners, trainers and breeders. It is a sad day for many.”

...........what I find particularly puzzling that from reading the comments under that caption in the SP is that Martin Collins locally have been contracted to lay the new turf track proposed at the Vaal....and for those in the know.....Martin Collins are the "polytrack" experts and got in at Rantjies PE and Greyville......just by joining the dots a bit of quid pro quo to the newest monopoly may be an interest in removing the sand(unwashed silica) screening it to a uniform mesh size and then wax treating it and adding the usual polymer scrap to have an ideal substrate to lay at any future project....a sum of ZAR8BAR has been mentioned to convert the sand track to turf.....who would think that grass would cost so much.... :huh:

I think myself it has been over used, Southwell in the UK gets used only in the winter, that plan should have been stuck to at the vaal..

Plus i seen the photo`s of the tractors working the track posted by MAC those bends are gigantic and must take some work, wonder if making the field sizes max 12 runners or 10 runners and narrowing the track( less work/less money ) would have been an option..

If the surface was better ( like it was at the weekend) and ran fair the mad scramble to the lead would not need to happen,taking away the 1 and 2 runner contests

Unfortunately Azzie forgot to mention the poor punter who gets farked over because of the inconsistencies every week on the sand....

gregbucks wrote: Unfortunately Azzie forgot to mention the poor punter who gets farked over because of the inconsistencies every week on the sand....

Racing folk hardly ever do,on all aspects of the game

Soccer and Rugby at least know the fans are king,only the tote operators and bookies have any time for racing fans

Bob Brogan wrote: I think myself it has been over used, Southwell in the UK gets used only in the winter, that plan should have been stuck to at the vaal..

Plus i seen the photo`s of the tractors working the track posted by MAC those bends are gigantic and must take some work, wonder if making the field sizes max 12 runners or 10 runners and narrowing the track( less work/less money ) would have been an option..

If the surface was better ( like it was at the weekend) and ran fair the mad scramble to the lead would not need to happen,taking away the 1 and 2 runner contests

....Bob you are correct, too much traffic coupled with maintenance issues on the sand decreased the ultimate lifespan it was built for.....I see the poly going the same way as already Rantjies has issues but more due to climatic factors....but Gold Circle track is being over raced at the moment and at that pace of frequent use the silca(sand) will break down faster as will the polymers and the substrate removal for re-meshing and topping up will come at more frequent intervals and if not planned for the surface will become as inconsistent as any other without proper maintenance.... :dry:

gregbucks wrote: Unfortunately Azzie forgot to mention the poor punter who gets farked over because of the inconsistencies every week on the sand....

Exactly Greg................but those who analyse with a blindfold and a pin will miss it!.... :woohoo: