Track legacy issues, exacerbated by unprecedented rainfall, have thrown a curved ball into the works for Cape Racing as they build up via the 2023 Hollywoodbets Spring Country Festival into what is expected to be the biggest Summer festival of racing this century.
With the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth track undergoing improvements, the rustic country venue is being called upon to provide a platform into early November.
Despite hopes that Tuesday’s scheduled nine-race meeting would proceed without incident, the programme was called off after the third race due to deteriorating unsafe underfoot conditions.
Our roving photographer snapped the Hollywoodbets Durbanville trenches today
This after what was a sensible decision to abandon the Monday racemeeting, postponed from Saturday, rather than hammer the surface with 19 races in a crisis situation, which has arisen mostly as a result of the heightened water table following heavy rains.
The Sporting Post reported on Monday that a dangerous wet patch the length of the track at the 600m had been identified as an issue after 47 year high rainfall figures recorded in the Cape.
While track management have been working tirelessly. digging trenches and building a channel to divert the underground stream, their efforts were not enough to see the meeting through.
Steady rain fell throughout Tuesday morning, and this created a slippery surface when combining with the clay soil.
The jockeys were reportedly concerned from the very first race and conditions did not improve with racing.
Some confused and angry punters contacted the Sporting Post and ‘questioned how a track that went from unraceable to good going in 24 hours, became unraceable again after three races.
The reality is that the track was not unraceable on Monday, but the decision to abandon it – already explained – was made in favour of the long scheduled Tuesday meeting.
The unanticipated rain on Tuesday morning did not help matters and all things are simple in hindsight – and yes, maybe the meeting should have been abandoned in favour of sitting it out until Saturday. But explain that, without trying it!
Three maiden plates were run, with Grant van Niekerk riding a shrewd and confident race on Amethystic to win the opener for Paul Reeves and family.
Van Niekerk burgled the race from the front and boldly never drew his crop as Aldo Domeyer unleashed the faster-finishing Strata from out the pack.
Grant van Niekerk rode a pearler to get Amethystic home ahead of a flying Aldo Domeyer and Strata (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Corne Orffer rode a cracker from a wide draw to win the second on Go Like Flo for Andre Nel. The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight took 12 runs to shed her maiden, and her future career in the Cape could be in the balance.
Domeyer received some compensation in the third after being given one to think about by Van Niekerk, when he got the overdue Rainbow Lorikeet to win at her fourth start. Candice Bass-Robinson saddled the winner.
A Bipot dividend was declared, but Place Accumulator bets were refunded.
With showers forecast only on Thursday, and partly cloudy weather in-between, there are ardent hopes that the Hollywoodbets Spring Country Festival ‘Braai & Gallop’ Festival on Saturday will go ahead as planned.
The festival offers a mix of Heritage Day celebrations and some cracking racing, headed by the Listed Hollywoodbets Settlers Trophy.
