Clairwood's days numbered

Durban - Durban's Clairwood racecourse would stage its last meeting on August 3, 2014, Gold Circle's racing manager Graeme Hawkins said on Monday.

Feature of the day would be three races for the Asian Apprentice jockeys, the first time this event is to be staged in South Africa.

In previous years, South African apprentices contested a similar event in other parts of the world and the staging of the Asian contest would be a big attraction for South African race-goers.

The distances and details of the three races would be decided closer to the date.

The all-weather Polytrack training track at Summerveld, 36km from Durban, was expected to be completed in January.

The project was estimated to cost R85-million.

The Polytrack on the inside of Greyville's existing grass course would be completed shortly afterwards.

Once the Greyville Polytrack is completed, the racecourse will host around 80 race meetings a year.

Hawkins said it may be necessary to re-lay the existing grass track at Greyville race-course as, down the years, three different grass species have intermingled with the original grass.

Construction of the 500 stables at Greyville, being built to take the horses presently being trained at Clairwood, was well-advanced.

Already the re-modelling of the present tote building was soon be completed.