Dubai: The track at Jebel Ali Racecourse is reported to be in tip-top condition for the start of the 2014-2015 UAE racing season as a result of the efforts of Clerk of the Course Karthi Selvaratnam and his team.
The course hosts a six-race card on Friday and Selvaratnam said it was all systems go at a venue that is hugely popular with not just jockeys and trainers but also among racing fans.
“We’re all set. The track is in the best possible condition,” he told Gulf News. “It has gone through procedural maintenance during the summer and we’re looking forward to seeing some top class racing here over the next couple of months.”
Drawing attention to the demands of maintaining a dirt racetrack in the desert where the temperatures are unrelentingly high, Selvaratnam said: “Our surface requires the minimum maintenance. Because of the way it was designed and the fact that it is an oil-based surface, makes it a lot easier to maintain than other tracks.
“We require little or no machinery or technology, its very user friendly. The track surface is made up of desert sand which is mixed with recycled engine oil which we source from the ship yards.
“The oil is sprayed on periodically to ensure that it blends in well with the sand. But because the surface is over 20 years old, we are beginning to use less oil each year.”
Selvaratnam revealed that the desert-style track was created by his father, Renga, during the seventies.
“My dad came up with the idea to use oil and sand when he was training in Kuwait,” he said. “With water being in short supply oil was the perfect substitute and it resulted in a safe and consistent racing surface.
“The late Vincent O’Brien liked the idea and had a similar track installed at Ballydoyle, where champion Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien currently trains.”
Selvaratnam boasted that Jebel Ali was one of the safest racetrack and a particular favourite of the great Lester Piggott.
“The best thing about our track at Jebel Ali is that it is one of the kindest racing surfaces you can find,” he said. “It is safe not just because of the surface but also because of the way the track is configured. The uphill finish ensures that horses put less pressure on their front legs by using their hind legs to push themselves forward and as a result it’s rare to see a breaking down, which perhaps you would on a conventional flat track, where horses are more prone to hurting their tendons.”
Selvaratnam also noted that the track was used by several UAE-based handlers on a regular basis for crucial morning workouts.
