The Vaal racecourse is being sold!!!!!

Your Trainer surely has a name...?

Yes he does, a very well known one :lol:

Convenient answer, WL. The rest of us at Vaal count ourselves lucky to have these excellent tracks to train on. We wouldn't train anywhere else.

During the whole process of our objecting within the EIA, there were many stories and much speculation. Recently, again, someone with no idea had heard about a meeting with the mines and all new speculation took place.... but the meeting was with Mission Point mines. ...The guys who mine the building sand. No meeting was held with Anglo. Nobody wants the land. No sale is in the pipeline.
The only "sale" that would happen would be for about R300 M, which is what it would cost to relocate the entire Vaal Racecourse and Training centre. And nobody is going to pay that for Vaal, unless they decide that they HAVE TO open cast mine around us. Then they would have to settle....
That's the crux of our objection to the proposal to mine around us. That was 2 years ago. No mining has started.

Louis and Bob - I think an apology is in order when you mention the initials WL .'Convenient answer, WL - Over the Air should post his real identity as this is how the rumour mills start.

savasp wrote: Louis and Bob - I think an apology is in order when you mention the initials WL .'Convenient answer, WL - Over the Air should post his real identity as this is how the rumour mills start.

WL ?

WL should read LOL.

Thank You for clearing that up .

One could have read that as a person like
the presenter on TV GC.

Louis don't shoot the messenger. You list many things that to the best of my knowledge ( I see nothing on here ) are not in the public domain. Clearly there are issues amongst even your own Vaal trainers that are unclear.

Very true OTA. The problem is that the vast majority of Trainers dont lift a finger to assist at any level at all. It is a tiresome, thankless and sometimes fruitless job, putting time in on behalf of Trainers.
A little bit of knowlege is dangerous and in this case, the point is clearly made. The Trainer has repeated a rumour which is based on the wrong info. A meeting with the Sand miners, being Mission Point, has been confused with a meeting with the coal miners, Anglo.

Look, our members of Govt are famous for many things. But, good planning, such as height of trains and things like that are not one of their talents.... for example, Lethabo power station was scheduled to close in 2020, which would coincide with the run out of coal from the present Mac West open cast coal mine across from the exit to Vaal. That would be the end of coal mining in the area. They stuck to the plan and sold the entire Vaal to Phum for a nominal fee of about R700k. 6 months later they woke up and realised that we have a power shortage in SA. They started loadshedding and had meetings about meetings and then decided that Lethabo's lifespan should be extended to 2032. Then the EIA started etc etc etc. Based upon our objection and a few others in the area, Anglo decided to put it all on hold, as they did not have enough profit in the venture to pay us out, yet they still completed the EIA.

So, should GOVT/ESKOM decide that coal is a vital resource for the aged Lethabo power stn, they WILL mine right around us. Then WE will HAVE TO relocate and GOVT will HAVE TO pay us out. By putting in the extra work in terms of the added objections to the EIA and Golder's final documents at great expense, Phum have basically made sure that we would get the full settlement. In order to start open cast mining the area right around the course, Anglo would have to undertake about two years of preparations. During this time, a new course and Training Centre could easily be built and we would move out before they start.
Either way, we seem ok.
Just another point. When Eskom decided to stay with the closing of Lethabo in 2020, the maintenance of the Power Station was allowed to go backwards and they were just patching up, stringing it along. Another problem now is that Lethabo is in a very bad state of repair as it stands and it will be lucky to see 2020.So the extension to 2032 would cost them bigs. Unofficial, estimated costs of the repairs/maintenance required urgently are estimated at R800M.....
The only other option would be for them to stop the open cast altogether and just mine from underground, which is no risk to us and it would take place about 12km south of us. The coal would be carried to Lethabo on a covered conveyer system, which runs about 4km's away from our nearest point. If there is enough coal there, they wont open cast. In that case, all open cast mining in the Vaal would cease in 2020.

I bet WC gets a polytrack before Jhb

I am with u on that one Oscar. One just has to read JR'S latest blog to know that the WC courses are a problem.
Then there is the input from the Kenilworth board - Hassan Adams and the rest of the board are passionate people who don't waste time lamenting but rather cone up with a great plan for the future. It is very exciting, their plans for Durbanville and Milnerton and Phillipi.
In 5 to 8 years time the Mother City will be the WOW FACTOR of racing in SA.
In the meantime , our own 8 horse raider float nears completion....what else can we do but adapt ?
n boer maak n plan !

Voorspoed Louis, dis wel bietjie ver maar kom raid so bietjie by ons ook