Final Field WSB Grand Heritage

IN THE KNOW – MEDIA RELEASE
SUBJECT: VAAL TRACK UPDATE
DATE: Friday 21 September 2018
RELEASED BY: Phumelela Gaming

Further to this mornings’ announcement and following an inspection of the Vaal track, we would like to provide this update in the interest of keeping all horseracing stakeholders informed.

Half of the Vaal track was scarified almost a month ago on the 23rd August 2018 and that part of the track has responded well to this treatment. The second half of the track, the front straight, was partially scarified more recently on the 5th September and this area is the current cause of concern.

We have conducted an analysis of the prevailing weather patterns over the last three years and, while average temperatures from the beginning of August this year are similar to those experienced in 2016 and 2017, we have not seen the typical increase in temperatures since the beginning of September that has been experienced in previous years and this, along with a spell of black frost overnight in the last week, has prevented the newly scarified portion of the track from recovering as planned. The track has been covered to prevent any detrimental effects from potential further black frost.

A track inspection was carried out on Friday 21st September by Phumelela CEO John Stuart and the Vaal Track Manager and a further inspection will be carried out on Sunday 23rd September at 11am which will include PGL CEO John Stuart, Racing Operations Executive Clyde Basel and National Track Manager Dean Diedericks, along with various other industry role-players and an update will be given post this inspection. A decision will ultimately need to be taken regarding the Grand Heritage race meeting scheduled for the 29th September 2018 and possible solutions include:

1. Delay the Grand Heritage (Main races) by one week and continue with the other scheduled races on the 29th September at the Vaal, without using the new course track.

Or

2. If the new track has shown sufficient improvement and the weather forecast for the week shows increased temperatures, the Grand Heritage meeting will go ahead as scheduled.

A final decision will be taken on Tuesday 25th September but watch Tellytrack at 8:30pm on Sunday evening for a further update which will be followed by a press release regarding.

.....gotta see the humor of all this scrambling....John Stuart at the Vaal doing track inspections instead of being in Singapore....wonder which lucky sods got the 1st class air travel in his stead.....and that frost story is getting darker and darker and it is now pitch black and happened JUST last week..... the Vaal triangle must be akin to that of Bermuda somewhat totally un -explainable ....this cluster f@ck has really got the PHUM arses in gear......:blink:

Now they are weather men? Does the SABC need new weather casters?

Chris van Buuren wrote: Now they are weather men? Does the SABC need new weather casters?

....obviously they do .....as none of them predicted or gave warnings of black frost anywhere in the country for the past month....:S

Message received from a trainer

Frost on the 10th and 11th and covers down ever since

Looks more like a sand track than a grass surface

......would like to say that that the event of frost occurring in the last 2 weeks would have been unbelievably freakish especially with the advent of much warmer weather in this month...and have been aware of the cold fronts that pushed through......however there are scientific records and even a calculation that predicts late occurrences of severe frost that the area in question has/had a 80% chance of severe frost in mid September
.....maybe those frost blankets should have been on the grass as a precaution....and not after the fact......my sincere apologies for doubting that this frost did occur and now that TPTB are bringing it to the fore....
they had the frost blankets so why were they not used accordingly....no denying that the crux of the problems....are reactive rather than proactive.....:oops:

Muhtiman wrote: .....gotta see the humor of all this scrambling....John Stuart at the Vaal doing track inspections instead of being in Singapore....wonder which lucky sods got the 1st class air travel in his stead.....and that frost story is getting darker and darker and it is now pitch black and happened JUST last week..... the Vaal triangle must be akin to that of Bermuda somewhat totally un -explainable ....this cluster f@ck has really got the PHUM arses in gear......:blink:

This is not humourous at all and firstly let's give credit where it is due. I doubt du Plessis knows where the Vaal is nevermind be present for a track inspection.

My call differs from Muhti's and my read on this situation is that Stuart has identified part of the problem and is now getting involved. When Patrick Davis left Phumelela the majority of his responsibility was given to Clyde Basel. I am told it has been too much for the boy, and we are seeing things like outsourcing of the race program and the like to cater for this inefficiency. My sources tell me Clyde is an infrequent visitor to the Vaal. Stuart is sending out a clear message here and it is a message that I like. He's going to get his hands dirty, and he's checking up on inefficient and/or under performing management. Well done to him.

A positive post on Phumelela. RiverJ must be spinning.

....sorry I still find it very amusing....simply posturing and grandstanding for the sponsors not to pull the plug.....nothing more than another cover up....all will be hunky dory after a few pints at the bowling club....

Muhtiman wrote: ....sorry I still find it very amusing....simply posturing and grandstanding for the sponsors not to pull the plug.....nothing more than another cover up....all will be hunky dory after a few pints at the bowling club....

Get a grip on yourself Muhti we are not talking about the Met here, its a non-listed 750k quirk that attracts less than 200 paying customers. Whilst you may be right, I'm hoping that my call is the more accurate.

Delaying the Heritage will knock on to the Spring Challenge at Turffontein on 6 October. It will be what it will I guess.

Over the Air wrote:

Muhtiman wrote: ....sorry I still find it very amusing....simply posturing and grandstanding for the sponsors not to pull the plug.....nothing more than another cover up....all will be hunky dory after a few pints at the bowling club....

Get a grip on yourself Muhti we are not talking about the Met here, its a non-listed 750k quirk that attracts less than 200 paying customers. Whilst you may be right, I'm hoping that my call is the more accurate.

......and that is exactly why I find this particularly amusing.....and I sincerely hope that as you believe John Stuart is going to crack whips to get things into shape....because under the past bean counter's regime...... this is when these matters leading up to current events went horribly awry.....:ohmy: