The debate over the Greyville track woes have been reignited by the decision to abandon Friday night’s Greyville racemeeting.
Gold Circle have advised that following heavy overnight rain, further forecast of showers and a waterlogged pull-up area, tonight’s racemeeting at Greyville has been abandoned – so read the advice on Friday morning.
Some owners and jockeys resorted to social media to express their frustration, with the newly formed Independent Owner’s Association’s Brian Burnard calling on all KZN owners to complete their membership forms.
One jockey questioned why an all-weather track would have a turf pull-up.
A leading owner, Burnard has been at the forefront of the movement to create a voice for a sector that provides the core funding for the foundation investment on which horseracing operates.
Brian Burnard – ‘let’s get things right’
He urged all KZN owners to give the new association the strength and impetus to ensure that ‘the dog started wagging the tail’ in future, and to complete the documentation emailed to them as a matter of priority.
Burnard said that he had no intention of getting into a slanging match or trying to solve problems in the media, but that the time was long overdue to replace the ‘reactive mentality’ with proactivity.
“We are extremely disappointed that the problem with the pull-up area has not been resolved and intend taking this issue, together with other points of pressing concern, to our meeting with Gold Circle on Friday 18 November,” he added.
Burnard said that Gold Circle had embraced the concept of the new association but that horseracing’s best interests needed to be served with straight-talking and the addressing of the real issues, with all stakeholders’ interests protected.
“Gold Circle have advised that following heavy overnight rain, further forecast of showers and a waterlogged pull-up area, tonight’s racemeeting at Greyville has been abandoned”.
Because the meeting was to be held on the Polytrack( all weather track),heavy overnight rain and further forecast of showers could not have been the reasons for abandoning the meeting.
So the reason must have been the waterlogged pull-up area.
But from as early as 2014 this pull-up area was tested and in Mr.Hawkins own words was ready for racing.
Did Mr. Hawkins or track manager not realise that the R160million polytrack(all weather) would be useless if the pull-up area was waterlogged?
Some got this all wrong and the betting is 1/100 its Mr. Hawkins and his staff. .
Why hasn’t Gold Circle invested in a PVC cover similar to those used at CRICKET STADIUMS throughout the world. It is inexpensive and will help prevent the grass pull-up area from being waterlogged for polytrack racing. As Obama says C’mon man, I say C’mon Gold Circle. Stop the excuses and just get it done quickly and done right.