Awapuni?

[jess]

Trials were today, 6 October - got through all heats.  What was the verdict? Was anyone there? Anyone heard? 

Watched a couple online - looked like a fair bit of matter chipping out & being kicked up? 

A local trainer was quoted & mentioned it was shifty. 

And silence so far from the powers that be is a bit worrying? (I feel like they'd be shouting from the rooftops if the limited return to the turf was a resounding success ...)

Maybe the outcome is still being processed through the PR machine (Corporate Communications I believe they call themselves ...) 

J.

[Chief Stipe]

12 hours ago, jess said:

A local trainer was quoted & mentioned it was shifty

Did Kate Hercock ride for the trainer?  She seems to be the Jockey track expert in the CD.

As for the track being shifty.  That is par for the course with a sand based track.  Ellerslie is the same.

12 hours ago, jess said:

Trials were today, 6 October - got through all heats.

Which is great news.

12 hours ago, jess said:

Watched a couple online - looked like a fair bit of matter chipping out & being kicked up? 

Were you there?  You'd expect some kick back from a Soft 6/rainy weather on sandy track.

[curious]

3 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

 You'd expect some kick back from a Soft 6/rainy weather on sandy track.

It was reported as a heavy 8 wasn't it?

[Chief Stipe]

19 minutes ago, curious said:

It was reported as a heavy 8 wasn't it?

At 4.59pm apparently.  Not BEFORE the trials.  Regardless it seemed to perform OK for the conditions.  Do you disagree?

 

[curious]

Heat 1 was reported as a H8.

[Chief Stipe]

2 hours ago, curious said:

Heat 1 was reported as a H8.

Oh well it seemed to behave ok.  Although the Tom Tom drums are beating.

[Chief Stipe]

To Our Valued RACE Members,

Thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and support as we work towards a safe and confident return to racing at RACE Awapuni.

We know this update will be disappointing for many, and everyone involved, from our track team to NZTR, officials, riders, and Club representatives, shares that feeling. However, taking a little more time is the right step to ensure that when racing does resume, it does so safely and with complete confidence in the surface.

Following yesterday’s trials, a meeting was held with representatives from NZTR, RACE, the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association, and track advisor Liam O’Keeffe (Flemington). After reviewing conditions and rider feedback, all parties agreed that the track continues to improve but would benefit from more time before racing resumes.

Across eleven heats involving 94 horses, both on the rail and around the markers, riders raised no safety concerns, and the track continues to show improvement. The consensus was that it would benefit from additional time to consolidate.

Track consultant Liam O’Keeffe, who has been monitoring the track throughout the Return-to-Racing process, supported the decision.

“Following significant rainfall over the past week (107mm in 10 days), the track presented as a heavy surface. Riders noted some kickback, and everyone agreed it would benefit from additional time to consolidate.”

“It was pleasing to hear from senior riders that there was no slippage, but it will be important to run another set of trials under drier conditions to give the track a full and fair test,” he said.

As a result, we will now work with NZTR to hold another set of trials in late October, when conditions are expected to be drier.

We know this isn’t the outcome anyone had hoped for, but it’s an important step to ensure the track performs at its best when racing returns. The safety of our riders and horses remains our top priority, and we’re encouraged by the progress made so far.

RACE will continue to work closely with NZTR to find an alternative venue for the November 1 race meeting and will share details as soon as they’re confirmed.

Thank you again for your understanding and support. It means a great deal to everyone working hard behind the scenes to bring racing safely back to Awapuni.

Yours in racing,

Richard Simpson 

Chairman 

RACE Inc.

 

[Huey]

40 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Oh well it seemed to behave ok.  Although the Tom Tom drums are beating.

If you give it the all clear @Chief Stipe it must be ok , get racing !

[Chief Stipe]

10 minutes ago, Huey said:

If you give it the all clear @Chief Stipe it must be ok , get racing !

Perhaps they are thinking a bit more long term.  In my opinion a 100% sand based track is the wrong way to go in NZ as evident with Ellerslie and now Awapuni.  

[curious]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

Perhaps they are thinking a bit more long term.  In my opinion a 100% sand based track is the wrong way to go in NZ as evident with Ellerslie and now Awapuni.  

As far as I am aware Awapuni is not a sand based track? I thought it was slit drained and had a sand top-dressing? Where did you see that?

Edited 38 minutes ago by curious

[curious]

 

[Chief Stipe]

7 minutes ago, curious said:

As far as I am aware Awapuni is not a sand based track? I thought it was slit drained and had a sand top-dressing? Where did you see that?

How deep is the sand?

[curious]

Awapuni track redevelopment project

These works are underway at present. The reconstruction work consists of the following main steps (in order of works):

1. Killing off and removing the existing turf cover on the entire track.
2. Earthworks to reshape parts of the surface where required (mainly in the back straight) to give consistent cross falls and level transitions.
3. Decompaction of the soil profile following earthworks.
4. Realigning the inside running rail to give a consistent track width (approx. 26m).
5. Installing a new stormwater drainage system to collect and remove water from surface run-off from the track and from the new lateral / slit drain system to be installed.
6. Installing a new automatic pop-up irrigation system with sprinklers located under the inside and outside rails (both sides of the track).
7. Installing 110mm diameter perforated lateral drains in the entire track at 5m centres.
8. Sand topdressing the whole track with sand to be applied prior to grassing.
9. Planting and establishing the whole track with a pure ryegrass turf sward.
10. Installing slit drains in the entire track at 1.0m centres following part way through the grass establishment.
11. Additional sand top dressing.
12. Replacement of track perimeter fencing.
13. Return to racing following NZTR protocols.

All the while that this work is underway the complex has to be kept open as a training venue for the local horse trainers with all the inside training tracks available. Perhaps the biggest impact of this is that daily construction works can’t start until after 9.30am which is when daily track work (horse training) finishes.

Dust management is critical on what is a big site (5.0ha) with some very close neighbours in the path of the wind.

[curious]

8 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

How deep is the sand?

You'd have to ask NZSTI but I'd guess 25-50mm.