More work on Durbanville

RACING at Durbanville is expected to resume early next season after extensive work on removing the ridge and furrow that has made the course unpopular with many owners and trainers, and on improving the sharpest bends.

Course manager Dean Diedericks said yesterday: “We have done a lot of work there but unfortunately we found quite a lot of laterite, a porous stone that sets like concrete, and where it was wet the track actually moved.

“It’s difficult to say when it will be ready for use because recovery won’t be as good during the winter months but I think we should be OK for the 11 meetings there in September and October. We will have gallops there before that.

“In the meantime we have upped the percentage of gallops at Kenilworth but unfortunately we can’t do it all that much.”