Rains delay re-sanding of track – Gooden

Lorna Gooden, general manager of Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), said the heavy rains in December have delayed the re-sanding of Caymanas Park track.

The surface has been blamed in recent times for a number injuries to horses during exercise, or on race-days. It has also been blamed for a series of spills involving jockeys on race-day.

However, Gooden told STAR Sports that the track has been re-sanded three times last year, but this process has been delayed due to circumstances beyond her company's control.

"The sanding has started already because we have done one section of the sanding, which is the stretch. But what is happening now is, because the weather that occurs in the latter part of the year, that has affected the mining of the sand, and so we have not been able to get the volume that we need," said Gooden.

"However, hopefully we should be able to get some more in the first two weeks of March, and then we will commence that sanding."

She continued: "The mine is down in St Elizabeth, and we don't want substandard, sowe will wait until the right quality of sand is manufactured ...so we can be properly supplied."

She also noted that all the relevant equipment need for the sanding of the track is now at the facility and they are now awaiting the arrival of the sand to start the process.

"If you come to the track, you will see piles and piles of sand there waiting for the full total, and then we will restart the work of re-sanding of the track," Gooden said. "We have already secured the equipment that we would need to assist us in the process for the work to complete."