Vaal Abandoned

Vaal for tomorrow (4/5/10) has been abandoned already

I am taking up Kayaking as a sport seems more realistic than horses racing in Gauteng

Great start to the week, Joke!!!!!!!!!!!

Imagine having to explain to someone outside SA that our 2 meetings on the ALL weather tracks were abandoned due to the weather lol.

Its only all weather when the sun is shining ()

Begs the question that I have asked before; Tuesdays were traditionally Cape meetings Why do we have to have the worst and "most crooked" (Sorry long straight) venue in the country, twice a week. (puke)

Why dont you Gautengers pack up your support for P and support a real racing region. Will put a spoke in the merger wheel. P can have their Ngong world cup, Mugabevale, Viking Harry, the sinus clearing Ausies and the phantom of the punter.

Isn't it great to have different opinions - in my view the title of 'worst and most crooked' venue in the country belongs to the goat track and the Vaal sand (which is not an all-weather track - although it was incorrectly marketed at its inception as a fall-back venue when meetings on the turf tracks have to be moved because of rain-affected surfaces) is one of the fairest since its revamp. And oh yes, the straight - isn't there a track somewhere in the UK (I think it's called the 'home of racing') that ONLY races down the straight - so I don't see the problem with a long straight.

In my view, in an ideal world, the answer is (and has always been) to turn the Turffontein inside track into a polytrack/all-weather track - but now all that money that could have been spent to cover some of the cost to do this, has now been spent on the lights - where even when the climate allows for night racing (and why only every 2 weeks?) - the meeting can still be jeopardized by a thunder storm at just the wrong time.

There is nothing wrong with a straght track. I am not sure whether you caught a debate on T/Track regarding the Vaal on You be The Judge. Most of the Jockeys complained about the length of the straight and the condition of the sand surface. My comment on the long straight was a dig at them.

On this, I wonder what happened to You be the Judge?????????????

Frodo, night racing in Gauteng is of minimal value. I think most of us agree on this. I think night racing has finished now cause its too bloody cold to race at night.
when do they start again - probably Aug / Sept. when winter is over - hopefully.

AN ALL WEATHER POLLY TRACK IS STILL THE ANSWER.. Will P fork out the necessary funds to put one in place? How many meetings have been lost in Gauteng this year cause of " sloppy tracks " at least 10 me thinks. The owners, trainers & jocks are all the poorer.

www.weathersa.co.za/Weather.asp?Dte=Toda...pe=5&fpgid=7day68588

Follow the link and note that winter does not exist on the KZN coastal region. Our minimums are your maximums for the week. Bring your horses to Greyville and Clairwood in winter. Even night racing in KZN is not cold as for rain what is that in winter?

A polytrack is not the answer at Turfies. No one wants to risk their lives crossing into Lagos just to attend a race meeting.

Alcaponee Wrote:

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> A polytrack is not the answer at Turfies. No one
> wants to risk their lives crossing into Lagos just
> to attend a race meeting.


did you, did anyone in SAF watch the KENTUCKY derby???? one of the biggest races ever. the deepest mudd. and no one there spent even one thought to cancelling.

south african racing practise of abandoning all the time is just absolutely ridiculous.

i will never understand, how they could postpone twice one of their biggest racing days (champions day). that seems very unprofessional.

Now I'm with you Al, I did see that debate and as I recall some did complain about the long Vaal straight on the sand track, but since the sand has been 'fixed up', I think the Vaal sand makes for good racing - (and it also is kind to horses) and what is the difference riding a horse around the bend or down the straight - I would have thought it actually takes LESS effort keeping a horse balanced down the straight (help me here Nicci) - so why complain about a long straight?

You be the Judge probably started to touch on some untouchable subjects and we can't have that, can we - as per the SMS evening last week - where I believe that some 'difficult' SMS'es were rather ignored than answered.

Yes Elvis no more night meetings on the highveld (perhaps they can build a 9 hole golf course on the inside of the track in order to get some use of the lights during these chilly late autumn/winter/early spring nights - hasn't something similar been tried before?:

I have recently been thinking again about what I would like for Christmas this year (for my own selfish reasons):

I would like to go racing at a track closer to home (so somewhere between Joh'burg and Pretoria); ideally this track should have 3 racing surfaces: turf, sand and all-weather/poly; then P can close down the Vaal and stop their lease from whoever they are leasing it from. They can move the lights from Turffontein and close it down as well and get away from the rubbish dump and Little Nigeria once and for all.

I would like an association that represents owners and owners' interest; I would like this organisation to be fair and to really care about all their members and treat them equally.

I would like a tote where I can bet with confidence, knowing the R5.30 dividend shown a few seconds before the off, will not have changed to R1.80 at payout time due to a 'mystery overseas punter' getting involved 30 seconds after the runners have jumped.

I would like to attend a sale where I am assured that I am bidding against genuine bidders.

Then I woke and smelled the coffee - and started to think why I am involved in this - and then I remembered the feeling of leading in a winner - and catching that elusive Pick 6 - and I realised again that I am probably never going to be able to let go - but it could be so much better.....