Equestrian
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Fornells 10100 Running Rail
Fornells 10108 Running Rail
Assistant head groundsman Kai Williams moves rail to offer fresh ground on the steeplechase course
than some. Covers are kept in the centre course and used on shaded areas which tend to stay colder than the high ground.
In 2010, when racing was decimated by the big freeze, the Welsh National was also postponed as temperatures plummeted to minus eight and the course lay below a blanket of snow. Yet, the race was able to run on January 8th, just twelve days later than scheduled.
Getting the right racing line is a bit of a science on such an undulating and cambered track. “We have a huge sweep of bend coming into the home straight and, with the course’s undulations, we have to get it right or horses can slip when they straighten up,” comments Keith. “Flat jockeys are especially vocal if they feel that footing on bends is not safe, understandably, as they can be travelling at up to 40mph on an inexperienced and unbalanced young horse. We have the space here at Chepstow to use the angle and positioning of the rail to push them out on a wider arc, if necessary.” This experience will stand
Keith in good stead at Bath, where he and assistant Rachel Griffiths are to oversee in 2013. “There were problems with a bend at Bath, so the radius was measured and extended to match the camber, and it is something that we will be monitoring,” he explains. A major drainage
programme was undertaken in 2010 on the National Hunt course, using contractors Mallinsons who Keith first came across at Uttoxeter.
“Again, we met rocks in many places and the contractors had to use specialist equipment, but it has made a significant improvement.” Further drainage work is planned for 2013 in the final furlong and stables bend of the flat track, and the last two furlongs on the National Hunt course. “Mike Harbridge of PSD has done the design for this section, which will be tricky, because of the levels of the rock and the falls involved, as it will drain into the centre of the course. We will also have to work around racing.” Keith and Rachel walk the course almost daily in the run up to a meeting, ever vigilant for any damage from the abundant wildlife in the area, or any problems that may be brewing. “If there is a small area of turf damage and we catch it early, it can be remedied in a couple of weeks, rather than becoming a major issue,” he comments.
Clerks also play a vital role in communicating with trainers as to the condition of the course and helping them to decide if the ground will suit their horses and, therefore, whether they should run.
Observation, the use of weather data from a weather station in the centre course and the trusty walking stick, pushed into the turf to ascertain its resistance, all go together to make a call on whether the course is likely to ride firm, good, soft or heavy. “We are required to
announce going conditions 48 hours before a flat meeting and 24 hours before National
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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 PC 103
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