Egyptian brewing magnate & leviathan US owner Ahmed Zayat has announced he is returning some of his horses to California following the success of the Pro-Ride® track. Zayat triggered nation-wide headlines in the US when he moved his large stable of horses from California to New York 12 months ago, citing "on-going concerns over the synthetic surface (prior to its replacement with Pro-Ride®) at Santa Anita".
Recently Zayat's Racing Manager Sobhy Sonbol told Thoroughbred Daily News: "After seeing the Breeders' Cup and after the changes that have been made we have decided to send a string back to California."
“We are very happy with the results of the Pro-Ride® surface,” he said. “We are happy with the results from the Breeders' Cup & the way the surface reacted at the Oak Tree meeting. The safety reports and the reports that I've been getting from a lot of people is that it's a fair track. Now it's time for us to come back."

This year’s $US 5million Breeders Cup was run and won on 25 October, 2008 on a surface developed and constructed by Australian company, Pro-Ride Racing.
The organisers of the Breeders Cup, one of the largest and most prestigious horse racing events in the world, were adamant their race would be run on a synthetic surface this year rather than the more traditional U.S. racing surface, dirt.
However, with some synthetic surfaces experiencing problems their selection, with Santa Anita Park, of the company to build the surface was crucial to a success event.
With temperatures forecast to be in the mid to high 30s during the Californian summer, the traditional binding agent for synthetic surfaces, wax, was a real concern. "If the wax melted and migrated to the bottom, the surface would break down and be a danger to the horses and jockeys." said Ron Charles, President and CEO of Santa Anita Park.
Pro-Ride Racing’s polymeric binding agent is not affected by heat or cold the way wax is - and so offered Santa Anita and the Breeders Cup a clear alternative.
“The leading edge technology we have developed enabled us to provide exactly the solution both the Santa Anita track officials and the Breeders Cup organisers wanted,” said Pro-Ride Racing CEO, Mr. Ian Pearse. “We could not have developed this technology without the support of the Government’s AusIndustry program.”
With the Pro-Ride® surface installed, owners and trainers from around the world recognised they could come and compete with the Americans on a safe, consistent, and unbiased surface.
Renowned Irish trainer, Aidan O’Brien, said, “The more this surface (Pro-Ride) spreads through the world, the better it’s going to be for the Thoroughbred breed.”
The end result was winners all round. The Breeders Cup and Santa Anita ran a hugely successful event. The Cup went overseas to the U.K. And the plaudits for a perfect racing surface came home to Yarra Glen, Australia.
On 13 November Mr. Ian Pearse is a keynote speaker at the Asian Racing Conference in Tokyo, Japan. His presentation is titled "The Next Generation in Synthetic Tracks".

In California, Pro-Ride Racing's new Pro-Ride® synthetic surface at Santa Anita Park (where the US Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held on October 24-25) "was tested in a live race for the 1st time on opening day of the Oak Tree meeting & passed with flying colors," declared thoroughbredtimes.com.
Rafael Bejarano (leading rider at Santa Anita's winter-spring meet) commented: "I'd give it an A." Joe Talamo added: "I'd give it an A. It felt great." Fellow jockeys David Flores, Tyler Baze & Michael Baze "were others riders who offered positive comments" & Santa Anita president Ron Charles "was beaming after taking his own survey of the jockeys who rode in the 1st race" enthusing: "They're all raving about it!"

Newcastle Jockey Club will use its Pro-Ride® track for the first time for an additional set of barrier trials at Broadmeadow Racecourse on Tuesday 19 August. Racing NSW Chairman of Stewards, Ray Murrihy, recently approved use of the synthetic track for trials.
Newcastle's Pro-Ride® track was introduced for trackwork in November 2003. Newcastle have been extremely pleased with the performance of the surface over the last 5 years & requested a refurbishment of the surface earlier this year following last year's massive June storm.

Pro-Ride Racing is excited at the prospect of working with the team at Santa Anita Park to rejuvenate their racing surface in preparation for the 2008 Breeder’s Cup.
Following the successful reformulation completed by the Pro-Ride Racing team in January this year the support for the Pro-Ride® footing from the Santa Anita Park horsemen has been overwhelming.
“We appreciate the support and confidence Santa Anita management and the horsemen that use the track every day have shown in Pro-Ride Racing.” said Pro-Ride Racing founder and Managing Director, Mr. Ian Pearse. “We have monitored the progress of the surface during the months since the reformulation and have been very pleased with its performance. And now, with the upcoming Oak Tree meet and the Breeder’s Cup, it is a perfect time to rejuvenate the surface.”
“The opportunity to prepare the Santa Anita track for the first Breeder’s Cup to be run on a synthetic surface is a great honor and one we take on with great sensitivity and pride.” said Mr. Pearse.
Pro-Ride® is an all weather synthetic surface comprising of carefully graded sands, a unique cushioning agent, and a patented polymeric binding agent. The end result is a high quality, consistent racing footing with minimal kickback and a unique 2-phase cushioning effect. Pro-Ride Racing is an Australian-based company with an office in Claremont, CA. and 16 successful installations in Kentucky and Australia.

Installing a Synthetic Racing Track - A Technical Overview.
The all weather synthetic racing and training track phenomenon is experiencing rapid growth and a heightened awareness. The range of materials used and the installation processes can vary considerably and we have seen some interesting challenges in recent times. There is a technical process that can and should be followed for every installation.

Kentucky (Pro Ride Racing) December, 2007 – There are six major elements involved in installing a synthetic racing or training track. When all six elements are addressed fully and in relation to each other the track's installation and performance will be maximised. This list has been supplied by Ian Pearse, the founder and technical expert at Pro Ride Racing.

1. Analyse the environmental conditions:
   No track can be laid for long term success without careful consideration of the natural elements.
   1. The track installer should consider for each time of year:
   1. The historical average rainfall.
   1. This is a fundamental consideration in designing the footing’s infiltration rate.
   2. The temperature range re. the extremes of heat and cold.
   1. This determines the binder viscosity dependence on temperature. Based on climatic conditions the most appropriate binder is manufactured using a viscosity dependence graph.
   3. Natural wind conditions.
   1. What is the prevailing direction and what is likely to be introduced to the surface?
   4. The location of the track in relation to other tracks.
   1. Identify the possibility of contamination from neighbouring grass tracks, sand tracks, and other organic materials such as walk on locations from stables.
   2. Question whether there is any reason to think these conditions may change over time.
   1. For example, will a new grandstand be built that may create a new wind tunnel?

2. Review the workload expectations for the surface:
   Work closely with the facility’s management to clearly and comprehensively understand the expected workload the footing must support.
1. Will the surface be used for racing, training, or both?
1. How many individual races are planned during various time periods?
2. How many horses will be trained on a daily basis?
1. Will this be 12 months of the year or some interim period?
3. What time of day will the training / racing occur?
1. A training track with early morning training requires a different temperature focus on the viscosity range of the binder than a track with afternoon racing.

Developing a binder that suits both morning training and afternoon racing is the real key to successful synthetic track development.

3. Test material compositions:
   There are different composition options depending on the analysis from points 1 and 2 above.
   1. Pay very close attention to sand type selection.
   1. Study and understand the sand sieve analysis. Sand granule size in relation to binder quantity and type is of the utmost importance.
   2. Selecting clean, angular, washed sand with low silt and clay content is essential when providing footing stability with controlled infiltration rates.
   3. High silt and clay content drastically reduces infiltration rates and can migrate downward to block drainage systems.
   1. 1% tolerance of silt and clay is typically appropriate.
   2. Conduct a number of laboratory tests prior to the footing being established in the field to ascertain consistency in performance. Tests should include:
   1. Confirmation of binder viscosity.
   2. Strength of cohesion of binder to sand.
   3. Analytical environmental report.
   4. Vertical water infiltration tests.
   5. Water retention rates.
   6. Correct formulation; ‘laboratory to field’ >> sand = binder = fiber = rubber.
   7. Establish similarities between initial sieve analysis and current supply of sand.
   8. Surface hardness testing; Clegg Hammer testing and track rating.

4. Engineering of the track:
   After the composition is confirmed a complete specification of the engineering of the track is approved. This will address and re-confirm key issues such as:
1. The final width and length of the new footing including walk offs and trail paths.
2. The sub-base drainage system being in good working order.
1. Inspect the installed base / drainage system for high and low spots.
3. Check the base cross falls are to specification.

5. A plan for ongoing maintenance:
   Initial discussions regarding maintenance are reviewed and re-confirmed at this stage.
1. How often will the track be graded; daily or weekly?
2. What equipment will be required?
3. What additional rejuvenation materials will be required over time and at what cost?
4. How often will the rejuvenation take place?
5. Removal of organic matter is necessary on a daily basis.

FACT – all synthetic tracks require an ongoing maintenance program.

6. Contingency planning:
   Weather conditions change. From the very beginning be clear about how the track will be managed under different conditions.

It is essential you have your track installed by an experienced technically proficient synthetic track manufacturer. Ian proudly noted that following the rigorous process outlined above during the installation of the Pro Ride Racing surface at the Skylight Center in Kentucky has resulted in not one single day of training has being lost during the recent heavy rains.
Ian is passionate about this industry and the unique properties of the product and welcomes technical questions.

This comment was received at the Melbourne office of Pro-Ride Racing Australia:
"Kudos to Pro-Ride Racing and their synthetic track surface. My filly was sent to Skylight Training Center under the guidance of trainer Tom Drury for an intro to track life after breaking. It was my first experience as an owner having a horse on the surface. I was very impressed. It was a kind forgiving surface with substance and stability. A super product to introduce the young horses to training.
I knew Niall O'Callaghan had his horses there and many other top trainers. And since moving to the Skylight Training Center my trainer is now legging up other top trainer's young or rehabilitating horses like Frank Brothers, Ralph Nicks, Wayne Lucas and Bill Mott on the surface. So it's evident I'm not the only one to like what I see." - Kim Smith, Founder and President of Second Stride Inc. a not-for-profit organization for retired thoroughbred racehorses.

A recent conversation with Steve Schollard (Gosford Race Club) revealed his delight at the performance of the Pro-Ride® training track at Gosford last week.
The track received 2 inches of rain overnight and Steve was amazed to find that the surface was “as good as new” the next morning. Trainers were lavish in their praise of Pro-Ride's resilience. This has again brought to the fore discussions of racing on synthetic surfaces.