Matamata = Gone

[Chief Stipe]

32 minutes ago, curious said:

If it was on the inside of the trial track, why would that be more slippery than anywhere else? Rougher maybe but surely not more slippery.

Might have been compacted.  Anyway it's hard to tell what it was like just looking a race video.  The Jockeys were keen to continue.

What I've seen closeup of some of these slips is that often they are isolated and relate to one horse rather than a wide ranging problem involving a number of horses.

If the horse had not become unbalanced it probably wouldn't have slipped.  Why didn't the Jockey keep pushing down the outside?  Or did the horse duck in?  If it hadn't of slipped then the races would have continued.  Odds are there wouldn't have been another slip.  

40 minutes ago, curious said:

makes some sense that the stipes overrode them because that would clearly make continuing such that stewards could not be satisfied that the track was in a "suitable condition that riders could ride in a safe and competitive manner, so the decision was made to abandon the meeting."

Again just speculation.  If the riders were all in agreement that they could ride a safe AND competitive manner then surely they'd have a better idea than the Stipe?  Given the wide variance in skill level and competitiveness where do you set the line?  If you set the line too low then you'd never have another meeting on those tight West Coast circuits.  

[Huey]

18 hours ago, SLB2.0 said:

Another meeting bites the dust

What should we set the over/under for total meetings abandoned this year? 

37.5

[curious]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

If the horse had not become unbalanced it probably wouldn't have slipped.  Why didn't the Jockey keep pushing down the outside? 

Possibly, but it's hard to say that it didn't become unbalanced because it lost traction. If she was out on the used trial ground, she may have wanted to get back in on the new smoother footing?