- This topic has 15 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 11 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
The going description for Down Royal on the RP website reads Good to Firm (Course Aggravated). What on earth does that mean?
An aggravator is one of many terms for a piece of kit that spikes the turf, lifting it up in the process. Is said to take the jar out of firm ground.
The going description for the last meeting at Limerick was the same. A useful piece of knowledge imo.
Current going report for Worcester next week states :
‘Entire course to be tine slit on Sunday June 21st.’
Before their last meeting, there was some comment about ‘vertidraining’ if I’ve remembered and spelt that correctly.
Hope it stays dry for them – ‘tine slitting’ is a real pain under water!
Thanks. Is this something that only happens in Ireland and if so, why?
Nope, there are a small handful of point-to-point venues in Britain that use the agrivator (as I believe most manufacturers usually spell it), particularly those especially prone to producing really fast surfaces.
Umberleigh, at which the 2009 season finished last Saturday, has had use of one for a few years now. It’s probably what’s made the difference between racing (albeit on firm) and not.
gc
The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
I think I need to start a campaign for Warwick to invest in some of this equipment.
TBH, i’m not completely sure it is effective to anything but a slight degree. They do it a lot eventing, but there they only go half the pace and can’t water all of the course. Water on top of aggravated ground makes a mess, not too sure about actual rainfall.
Perhaps someone in agriculture could confirm what it was originally intended for. I think it was to promote grass growth by letting air into the soil, it which case you could argue that doing it close to racing is maybe irrelevant.Even if it only encourages grass growth Warwick could do with one as the covering of grass there tends to be poor
Grass growth takes the moisture out of the soil, making it quicker. Thjats why i’m not so sure about using them on busy tracks.
TBH, i’m not completely sure it is effective to anything but a slight degree. They do it a lot eventing, but there they only go half the pace and can’t water all of the course. Water on top of aggravated ground makes a mess, not too sure about actual rainfall.
Perhaps someone in agriculture could confirm what it was originally intended for. I think it was to promote grass growth by letting air into the soil, it which case you could argue that doing it close to racing is maybe irrelevant.The Kanga (Boya) aggravator is a 6ft wide tractor pulled "soil reliever" with closely spaced solid or hollow tines that penetrate up to 14 inches. The original purpose is to relieve soil compaction at the surface and allow water and air into the upper topsoil to promote root growth. The tiny holes are usually filled with sand to maintain the airways. That allows water and air to the roots which promotes longer term sturdy grass growth and reduces divots. A racecourse may also use it when watering before racing so that water does not lie on a compacted surface and evaporate before it does any good or worse just makes the surface crust slippery and dangerous to horses, particularly on bends.
Current going report for Worcester next week states :
‘Entire course to be tine slit on Sunday June 21st.’
Before their last meeting, there was some comment about ‘vertidraining’ if I’ve remembered and spelt that correctly.
Hope it stays dry for them – ‘tine slitting’ is a real pain under water!
AP, did you get this information from Wetherbys? There is no mention of it on the RP or Sportinglife websites or Worcester’s website as far as I can see, which makes it worth bugger all to us punters, not that I’ve got a clue what it means anyways
It is interesting to know that such turf-management is undertaken and reported to whoever.
I gather the going description at Ascot on Saturday included the phrase "course selectively watered; punters aggravated".
Pompete,
Yes, that comes from the Racing Admin site run by Weatherbys.
But you should find the same info will be placed here :
http://www.britishhorseracing.com/goracing/rac … efault.asp
48 hours before the meeting.
There’s far more detail on there normally than on other sites, concerning watering, rail movements etc.
AP
Thanks AP,
The BHA web-page on Going Reports is very good and it looks like the same information you get from Wetherbys. A real must for those that think these things are important.
I’m quite impressed by it as I am the whole site.
Thanks. Is this something that only happens in Ireland and if so, why?
Nope, there are a small handful of point-to-point venues in Britain that use the agrivator (as I believe most manufacturers usually spell it), particularly those especially prone to producing really fast surfaces.
Umberleigh, at which the 2009 season finished last Saturday, has had use of one for a few years now. It’s probably what’s made the difference between racing (albeit on firm) and not.
gc
A lot of eventing courses use this type of equipment to provide a decent surface taking the jar out of it. I saw the slitting machine in action when walking the course at Burghley two years ago. Very interesting bit of kit and I am sure the BHA could come to some kind of deal with the eventing authorities for the sharing of its ground equipment in dry spells.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.