First! Sahvara (Robert Khathi ) gets the better of The Racketteer to win the Polytrack opener
History was made at Fairview on Friday when the very first official race was run on the brand new Polytrack surface. Trainer Corne Spies and Cape jockey Robert Khathi had the distinction of going down in the history books as the Favour Stud bred Sahvara won the Maiden Plate run over 1200m on Friday 25th October.
The 3yo Sail From Seattle gelding had run five moderate places in his twelve starts prior to this race. He beat The Racketteer by a quarter of a length. No time was published on Tabgold or Formgrids. Jockey Juan Paul van der Merwe, who rode the first winner at the first full Polytrack meeting on Sunday, was full of praise for the track:
“The track is beautiful, although it’s a bit tight around the turn . From the jump you have to go to get position early as, for example, the start is on the bend for the mile.We will get the knack of it and it makes for plenty of tactical strategy and exciting racing, I feel,” he said. Racing fundi and handicapping expert Tony Mincione commented on his first impressions of the surface.
“I had a look at the times to get a feel for the new track, but there are just too many unknowns. Looking at class averages, it would seem that the polytrack is a quicker surface, in general. Betting shows that results were as expected. I’m very keen to rate the races and see what’s what,” he said. There will be no separate merit ratings as applies to sand and for now the assessment will be done as for turf.
National Horseracing Authority Manager of Handicapping Roger Smith confirmed the policy:”The polytrack is deemed to be close to Turf. We will need a lot more form on the surface before a separate rating will be considered. Another consideration will be how big the horse population that actually competes on the surface.”
The horse friendly Polytrack installation cost in the region of R36 million. Phumelela opted for Polytrack over turf for various reasons. The most important was that a synthetic track does not require water, which is critical in light of the history of drought conditions and water restrictions in the province. Consideration was also given to the fact that annual maintenance would amount to some R1.5 million less than turf. As an all-weather surface it will virtually eliminate the abandonment of races and enable more race meetings to be added to the fixture list in the region if desired
Polytrack comprises a synthetic surface mixture laid on a vertical drainage system. The actual track or surface mixture is composed of recycled polypropylene fibres, recycled rubber and silica sand. All components are weighed, mixed and thoroughly coated with wax. The wax coating prevents moisture absorption, allowing water to flow quickly into the vertical drainage system below, which comprises a layer of porous tarmac, drainage stone and a system of drainage pipes that carry water away from underneath the track.
The outcome is a kinder and more consistent surface than a conventional dirt or sand track because Polytrack’s unique cushioning effect reduces injuries to the back and legs.
