Thumbs up for Tapeta surface
It was announced at the end of April that Wolverhampton was replacing Polytrack with the synthetic surface that is the brainchild of former Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Michael Dickinson.
Tapeta has been used at Meydan in Dubai and at various racecourses and training centres across the globe and there was a sense of intrigue in front of a healthy crowd in the Midlands.
It turned out to be a good afternoon for Doyle who completed a double with victories aboard the Charlie Hills-trained Angel Wings (4-1) in the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes and Kevin Ryan’s Madame Mirasol (3-1 joint-favourite) in the Bet Now At 32RedSport.com Handicap.
Doyle said: “I used to ride around here quite a bit, so it’s nice to come and have a couple of winners.
“It rode perfectly nice. It feels safe. It’s funny as it doesn’t strike me as a whole lot different. It still feels like Wolverhampton.
“I suppose only in extreme temperatures will we find out how the surface reacts, but certainly you couldn’t fault it.
“There is a bit (of kickback), but it’s very powdery and light. The horses seem to be facing it, so it’s not a problem.”
De Sousa was not among the winners, but has more experience than most of riding on the Tapeta at Meydan and won the Dubai World Cup on the surface aboard African Story in March.
The Brazilian-born jockey feels the freshly-laid track will only improve with racing. “It’s a nice surface. It’s just riding a bit slow, but when the ground settles I think it will be nice,” he said.
“There is plenty of give in it. Maybe a bit of rain will make it compact a bit more and it just needs proper racing.
“It’s not exactly the same (as the surface at Meydan), but it’s riding well and if I had a horse I would run it here. All the way round it’s consistent.”
The history-making first victor on the surface was the Ed Vaughan-trained 13-8 favourite Primrose Valley in the 32Red Casino Median Auction Maiden Stakes.
