Well, you've gone a step further than I was thinking - I'd have kicked off with stuffed hurdles first (I do like those so much more than the flip-top variety, especially when that damn foam gets caught between their legs), seen how they went. I can't see it being any worse per se for chasers/ptp's, and I think the concussion would be considerably less likely to cause fractures than the firm summer jumping ground. You just deep-harrow it, and it's really very nice.
If you want to get up an 'AW jumps now!' campaign, let me know - I'd like to see it at least trialled. As for the sliding bit - if you rotate, you ain't gonna slide. Chances are you're nailed for a broken neck or back, even if you fall into marshmallows. There are so many ways to incur a fatality which doesn't involve sliding, that I don't see it as a valid reason to NOT trial AW.
But racing's still full of reactionaries, even young ones, even in the face of using the surface for so many other equine activities - at speed, over obstacles, blah, blah. By the way - did they use AW in Australia for their jumps racing? I know they incurred fatalities, but when you see the crap they were jumping over, and it was all speed, speed, speed, I'm not bloody surprised. That pic which someone put up (last year?) of a horse flying through what looked like a large nylon mop was appalling. No respect for such flimsy contrivances, and therefore no safety for the horse. Born out of 'welfare concerns', it had the exact opposite effect.
