Poly vs Cushion

[mrmikegap]

When a track decides, or in the case in California been forced to, install a synthetic racing surface, they are faced with the decision to install polytrack, cushion track, or tapeta. What is the difference between all three?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by mrmikegap

When a track decides, or in the case in California been forced to, install a synthetic racing surface, they are faced with the decision to install polytrack, cushion track, or tapeta. What is the difference between all three?

i don't know whether the track susbstance is the factor, or the track super, or the weather, or some combo of the above. they all seem to be made of essentially the same things--silica sand, rubber, wax. whether the mix is different, i don't know. but the maintenance may be the key, moreso than the ingredients. i'd say the difference would be like comparing charmin, angel soft, and quilted northern. only real difference is who gets your money.

[theiman]

Originally Posted by mrmikegap

When a track decides, or in the case in California been forced to, install a synthetic racing surface, they are faced with the decision to install polytrack, cushion track, or tapeta. What is the difference between all three?

The $$ Amount in the bribe envelope?

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Accoding to Dickinson, "Tapeta was made for an American climate - as opposed to polytrack, which was made for a European climate."

From what I've seen.....polytrack is complete garbage, cushion track is better than polytrack...and Tapeta might be better than cushion track.

Nothing they make will ever replace the greatness that is the natural dirt surface.

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Accoding to Dickinson, "Tapeta was made for an American climate - as opposed to polytrack, which was made for a European climate."

From what I've seen.....polytrack is complete garbage, cushion track is better than polytrack...and Tapeta might be better than cushion track.

Nothing they make will ever replace the greatness that is the natural dirt surface.

How many times do i have to say that is the track's fault..... not the surface. If the tracks over there were to maitain it properly, it would be a good surface.

Martin Collins sells it as a "maintenance free" surface, when it is anything but that, but the US tracks seem to have taken his word for it.

To look at, Poly and Cushion are quite different. Cushion looks more shredded with bigger pieces while Poly is like a gummy gooey sand. (They had samples of Poly to feel at Del Mar, ick). It is easy to see that horses might not "sink" into Cushion they way they are said to do into dry warm Poly.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by NoChanceToDance

How many times do i have to say that is the track's fault..... not the surface. If the tracks over there were to maitain it properly, it would be a good surface.

How exactly do you know how the tracks are being maintained here?

[NoChanceToDance]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

How exactly do you know how the tracks are being maintained here?

I have seen how they are harrowed, and the amount of water put on some of them.

You do not need to be a brain surgeon to realise that the tracks with Poly in America are doing plenty of things wrong.

It's starting to make me laugh that they obviously have no clue as to how to maitain a synthetic surface, and how the racing fans seem to be very short sighted about the whole thing.

[mrmikegap]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

Accoding to Dickinson, "Tapeta was made for an American climate - as opposed to polytrack, which was made for a European climate."

From what I've seen.....polytrack is complete garbage, cushion track is better than polytrack...and Tapeta might be better than cushion track.

Nothing they make will ever replace the greatness that is the natural dirt surface.

I agree 100%. Natural dirt is the best surface.

[JJP]

Originally Posted by mrmikegap

When a track decides, or in the case in California been forced to, install a synthetic racing surface, they are faced with the decision to install polytrack, cushion track, or tapeta. What is the difference between all three?

I suspect Tapeta will be the best of the three; for one thing, like Drugs said, Poly is total crap and it wouldn't take much to be better than that. As for Cushion, I remember last year a number of trainers complained about it.

Lets pray that Tapeta isn't a surface where all the riders strangle their mounts until the quarter pole.