Earning his Spurs - Pitchcare

off with cutting the track in the evening,
which usually takes us past midnight to
complete. We ensure we cut every bit of turf
to make it as presentable for race day as
possible, before rising at 4.30am on the
morning of the Derby to cut the lawns, mark
and stripe the parade ring and mark up the
winners circle, watering if necessary.”
Given the Derby’s high profile, Nigel
knows how vital it is to make sure there’s
enough back-up, so staff don’t get swamped
on the day. Some twenty casual staff are
brought in for race meetings, a figure that
doubles on Derby day, with groundstaff from
Sandown Park and Kempton Park also called
on to ‘muck in’.
With staffing well in hand, the only other
issue to worry about on the day is conduct.
“We have to treat whoever we meet or speak
to with respect, regardless of who they are.
People will ask you all manner of questions
on the day, so we have to prepare ourselves
by making sure we know the answers to the
ones most frequently asked.
“You get a real mix of people at the Derby;
from the strong traveller following to the
Royal visits. It’s a hugely rich and colourful
event.”
After the races, Epsom usually plays host
to a hive of entertainment in front of the
grandstand, which continues for at least an
hour, Nigel says, before the chore of cleaning
up the site begins in earnest.
Then, as the racing calendar draws to a
close for another year, Nigel prepares the
course for autumn and winter.
“At the end of the season we mow the track
down to an inch, remove all the
clippings, finish with a light
harrow and overseed with
ryegrass.”
Images © speedmediaone
About Polytrack
A Polytrack surface is a
combination of new and
recycled products including
silica sand, synthetic fibres and
rubber, blended with a wax
coating. The result is said to be
“a kinder, more consistent
surface that requires less
maintenance and provides allweather
performance”.
The surface forms part of an
entire system that also
encompasses a specially
designed vertical drainage
system. The top surface
provides a soft cushion for the
horse and rider, whilst also
absorbing some of the
concussion from the horse’s
weight when the hoof hits the
surface.
When it rains, the wax
coating on the surface
materials allows water to flow
down through that layer into
the sub-layers below, which
include porous macadam and
dense aggregate rock,
providing a solid foundation,
whilst housing the vertical
drainage design that carries
water away from the track,
leaving the top layer damp but
not waterlogged.
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