Who rolls a grass track after one race and then why the focus on the racing lines?
A veteran Gr1 trainer has raised the question, along with many other readers, after the Hollywoodbets Greyville racemeeting on Monday was delayed after the first race.
Joey Soma has trained Gr1 winners and been around this game for more than 40 years.
In a call to the Sporting Post’s offices after the KZN opening race, he stressed that he was not pointing fingers or knocking anybody – he just needed to understand.
“I grew up in this game and have enjoyed racing from all over the world. Are we now global pioneers by virtue of the fact that we roll the track after one race of a turf meeting? And part of the official announcement about the delay referred to ‘racing lines’. So they focussed on the racing lines? Does Joe Public know what the racing lines are and where they are?” he asked.
Joey went on to add that rolling a track piecemeal would inevitably create advantages and disadvantages.
“There have been legendary cases where the roller was used down certain paths to create an edge. But this takes things to a whole new level when it is done in the course of a racemeeting. I would love to be enlightened and informed and there are people with great knowledge and insight on your platform who may add some value,” he said.
Efforts to contact the Hollywoodbets Greyville Duty Manager were unsuccessful, but we did briefly reach Racing Executive Raf Sheik, who confirmed that the jockeys had complained after the running of the opener about the track being ‘patchy’ around the turn. When asked about the ‘racing lines’, Mr Sheik said that these were the path travelled by the runners around the turn. He was in a meeting and was obliged to cut our call short.
The question has arisen as to why the track was not cut on Sunday and also why – as has been questioned previously – the Stipes do not walk the track and an official handover is not done.
An angry senior racing man said that it was shocking that in an age where racing could ill afford to take its eye off the ball, that blunders like this managed to occur.
“We are under severe pressure and can ill afford to lose one customer. And we are commingling, there are international eyes on us and then let’s not forget our punch drunk local supporters. We should hang our heads in shame. But without accountability, what stops it happening again next week?”
