Going Stick Variations

Desert Orchid

Desert Orchid

Senior Jockey
Joined
Aug 2, 2005
Messages
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Might be an idea to point out how misleading these can be.

For example, for tomorrow at Ayr the going stick reading is 6.7 and the ground is given as 'soft, heavy in places' (with heavy, soft in places, on the back straight).

For Newmarket tomorrow the reading is 6.8 and the going is given as good to firm.

At Ayr yesterday the times suggested the going description was accurate although the races panned out as though the ground was fine, in the sense that they weren't strung out like washing during or at the end and they seemed to be finishing well enough. One winner had twice previously been withdrawn elsewhere due to soft ground this season.

The last few Newmarket meetings I've seen on TV have looked as though the ground was much softer than given. Had they been over-watering during the long dry spell? Was a passing shower have an abnormal effect on the ground?

I don't know. I'm just asking.
 
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DO, I don't really know how the going stick works but it is probably involved with the plasticity of the soil.

The plasticity of soil is highly dependent on the distribution of sand, silt and clay in the make-up of the soil.

If the soil has a high proportion of sand then it will have very little plasticity.

Don't know if this helps in any way but that sums up my knowledge of the subject.
 
Thiose going stick readings are a joke i've seen them reading in the mid 6s and grounds been heavy and yet at the same venue on another day with same reading the ground rides almost gd/fm just laughable,have treated them with suispicion for years also they are very costly especially when watering always softerv than their predictions..The most overly used going term is gd/fm very rarely are the goings gd/fm like yarmouth this week never rode gd/fm one day more like good ground,a big difference if your horse wants genuine gd/fm ground..Newmarkets a terrible place for it and newbury,they alweays put gd/fm pre racing,i reckon 30% of bets are dead betting pre race at these meetings based on official going sticksonce you see gd/fm in the going with going stick readings under 7 becomes highly suspicious.
 
DO
The following explanation from Turftrax:

https://www.turftrax.co.uk/goingstick.html

I noticed yesterday that winner Saint Equiano was withdrawn (for unsuitable ground) on 'soft' last year but, to be fair to the Ayr executive, that was run on ground 0.7 softer than last year, and over the hurdles course as the flat course had recently been waterlogged.
Yesterday's times were probably representative of proper soft going, though they are dependant on the strong wind and some races not being run in much of a hurry.
It's been my experience that Ayr can be a bit of a law unto itself, though I'd surmise that's due to its geography - any golfer will tell you that links (ie, Coastal) golf is played on a very different surface to that inland.
I'd also guess that horses 'kicking the top off' usually occurs on recently watered ground, that hasn't had time to absorb the moisture.
 
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