The role of the Polytrack is just getting bigger and bigger for Nelson Mandela Bay Racing this season.
This surface has already saved many meetings recently when the grass track wasn’t safe to race on after plenty of rain.
The Poly had to work much harder than usual this season but is in fine form, and received many compliments from the jockeys.
On Friday the Poly will again be in the spotlight when the main attraction is the third and final leg of the Poly Challenge.
All eyes will be on the Kelly Mitchley-trained Prince of Fire that has the best chance of securing the bonus of R50 000 for his connections as the best performing horse over the three legs.
He won the first leg over 1 200m and finished a close up second behind Narcos in the second leg over 1 400m.
Every year the challenge produces nail-biting finishes, and this will again be the case in Friday’s final leg over 1 600m.
The Polytrack might also play a huge role in the upcoming Algoa Festival when the highlight will be the running of the R350 000 Algoa Cup over 2000m on Sunday 5 November.
Two meetings will be part of the festival, when fashion, charity and family fun will combine with high quality racing.
These meetings on Friday 3 November and the following Sunday, are both scheduled for the grass surface.
As usual there is a lot of interest from the Western Cape in the Bay’s biggest racing weekend, and some very strong nominations have been received for the Algoa Cup.
Surfin’ USA was the last local horse to win the Algoa Cup, back in 2009. Since then the Western Cape visitors have dominated and the Fairview trainers are desperate to win their own prestigious race for a change.
This is where the Polytrack can have a huge influence. With more rain predicted before the festival, it could happen that those meetings will be moved from the grass to the Polytrack.
The Polytrack is an unknown surface for the Cape Town horses. The possibility that the meeting won’t be on the grass might scare them off.
This will improve the chances of the locals to get their hands on the cup again, but a setback for the race. It would make for great racing to see some of those Cape Town horses taking on the best of the Bay.
Seven out-of-town stables have nominated horses to run in the Algoa Cup, and it is going to be very interesting to see which horses will eventually take their place in the big race.
Trainer Lunga Gila hasn’t entered a horse for the Algoa Cup, but it was his stable that dominated last Friday’s meeting, moved from the grass to the Polytrack after rain made the grass unsafe for racing.
Gila showed that he is a very talented trainer. He saddled a brilliant double and hopefully he will get more support from racehorse owners in the near future.
