THERE has been generally positive feedback about the new all-weather surface at Dundalk according to track manager Jim Martin, and chief executive of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, Michael Grassick.

The track has held a trials day, two race meetings and a barrier trials day since the new surface was laid during May and June.

Trainer Richard O’Brien noted on his Twitter account a significant level of kickback at last Saturday’s meeting at the track. Grassick said he fielded “one or two calls” with the same concern but ultimately concluded that the consensus on the new surface was positive.

He said: “The majority of people are happy with it. I had one or two calls from trainers who had a little concern that the surface was riding on the slow side and that there was a bit of kickback. That was after the last meeting [last Saturday] and I know that it was a very warm day and the track temperature was high.

“I would say when it gets cooler and damper, it’s going to tighten up. Just looking at the times from last year, the six- and seven-furlong races are running about two seconds slower, but the mile-and-a-quarter races seem to be more or less on a par.”

Martin said he was happy with the surface and pointed to the hot weather last Saturday as a reason for the track riding slower and causing extra levels of kickback

He said: “Obviously the surface will take a while to bed in and in hot weather, like last Saturday, a polytrack will always ride slower. The surface temperature last Saturday was 35 degrees which will always ride slow. The wax expands on a hot day and that means there will be more kickback.

“In Ireland we always call the going standard but the track will always ride faster in colder and wetter weather than it will in hot weather.

“It will ride a bit faster when the surface is bedded in and that can take five or six months.”

Dundalk will play a significant role in the elongated flat season. Their next meeting on September 18th is the first of 24 fixtures up until Christmas.