Koriokaramea 127 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 As if anyone needed reminding of the stark variance between New Zealand and Australian racing. Today, Saturday, the major racing day of the week (the day I'm not at work), New Zealand's largest city Auckland (pop. 2 million), race meeting at Ellerslie, with a mere 6 races. We look at Australia this weekend where the headline acts include Chautauqua, Hartnell, Black Heart Bart, Bonneval. By comparison in New Zealand the NZ Herald's Mike Dillon yesterday reported the headline act as going to be the brave but very limited one-paced Smedley, who promptly took umbrage at any suggestion it would be headlining anything, and scratched itself. We're Doomed, SilverHawk, Brown Fox and 2 others 4 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 4,489 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 The race Dillo selected in is The Mitchelson.....it was a decent race in its day...sadly today's event doesn't have a single open class horse in it, yet the bumbling fools in Petone keep telling us they've got this game sorted. I understand the weather issues and the impact that has on field size, but if other sports can cope ( Eden Park seems fine ), and this problem has been widely discussed here so it's not a new issue, then surely the industry must take some responsibility for what's really a bit of a farce raceday today at Ellerslie. chevy86, SilverHawk and We're Doomed 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Zip 468 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 And let's not forget to mention the absolutely disgraceful fields at Taranaki. A 4 horse race today featuring grey horses? Well that will produce an avalanche of money through the TAB - not! So people won't race on heavy tracks for money yet prepared to use the industry's facilities for a trial? OK, the answer is simple. As they have done in Australia, because it appears that trainers these days can't or don't want to prepare horses for races just by gallops & local jump-outs, they have raised the cost of trialling and increased the Raceday appearance fee/raceday subsidy plus pay back to 8th/10thplace. I think that's something they need to do here to deter people from using industry facilities to trial horses to sell instead of putting them through the industry fund generator, the races. At least that process would generate some revenue for the industry... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 4,489 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 And if you destroy the trials / selling yong horses market you'll be tearing apart the only thing keeping NZ racing solvent. Insider 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOM 1,017 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 Even if the TAB put a free hundy in my account I couldn'y bring myself to have abet today SilverHawk, ivanthegreat and Fartoomuch 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tauhei Notts 1,403 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 Midget writes about the Spring meeting at Ellerslie being a bit of a farce raceday. Midget is usually more robust in his comments. It is not a bit of a farce; it is total and unmitigated disgrace. Forty eight starters at our most wonderful racecourse. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryb 2,062 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 29 minutes ago, GOM said: Even if the TAB put a free hundy in my account I couldn'y bring myself to have abet today Why not? There are a few outstanding bets today. Outstanding bets have no relation whatsoever to quality of the fields. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Robson 1,536 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 2 hours ago, La Zip said: And let's not forget to mention the absolutely disgraceful fields at Taranaki. A 4 horse race today featuring grey horses? Well that will produce an avalanche of money through the TAB - not! ...and two of them 8, the other two 7. Oh dear. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Zip 468 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 2 hours ago, Midget said: And if you destroy the trials / selling yong horses market you'll be tearing apart the only thing keeping NZ racing solvent. yes Midget - perhaps what is really needed and what the industry is way too scared to implement is a complete root and branch reform of the industry....because what you have indicated is only a bandaid over a festering sore...and you know what happens then.... why do you think the TAB doesn't pay for racing? Because punters in general will only bet on "what they know"...and as the motto of most trainers for their horses is "here today, gone tomorrow (or until someone offers me $XXXXXX) ....punters won't put a load of their genuinely earned dosh on the line.....when the pool of horses is constantly changing and ever diminishing..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 I note that the stake for the Mitchelson Cup today is $35,000. In 1997 Chibuli and Mark Sweeney won the race. The stake was $30,000. It is a total disgrace that this time honoured race is not worth at least $50,000. This race has been staged since 1919- nearly 100 years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted September 29, 2017 In 1967 Bright Chief and Nigel Landers won the Mitchelson Cup. 18 horse field. I doubt if any of today's runners would have made the field. ivanthegreat, We're Doomed, Patiti and 1 other 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohokaman 5,759 Report post Posted September 30, 2017 7 hours ago, Koriokaramea said: As if anyone needed reminding of the stark variance between New Zealand and Australian racing. Today, Saturday, the major racing day of the week (the day I'm not at work), New Zealand's largest city Auckland (pop. 2 million), race meeting at Ellerslie, with a mere 6 races. We look at Australia this weekend where the headline acts include Chautauqua, Hartnell, Black Heart Bart, Bonneval. By comparison in New Zealand the NZ Herald's Mike Dillon yesterday reported the headline act as going to be the brave but very limited one-paced Smedley, who promptly took umbrage at any suggestion it would be headlining anything, and scratched itself. And Mongolian Legend went out in sympathy K...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tauhei Notts 1,403 Report post Posted October 1, 2017 I saw Bright Chief win the Mitchelson Cup from the Hill Enclosure. It was worth about $4000 in those days. I was earning $17.50 per week and a jug (small ones compared to pubs) cost 40 cents. The Hill rather than the Lawn as the $1 entry fee to The Lawn was too much for me. 1967! The year I came within four marks of New Zealand's top student in stage one Accounting. TOM(the other Molloy) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted October 1, 2017 Tauhei Notts great memories! The 1967 Mitchelson Cup was worth $5,000 including a $100 Trophy. Other winners that day included Miss Lynette, Elabama and Barellan. No such horses of such calibre went around at Ellerslie on Saturday! Nigel Landers sent me a text on Saturday night from Thailand were he now resides. He could not believe that only six horses ran in the Mitchelson Cup! He can't believe the state of NZ Racing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted October 1, 2017 Nigel Landers was a 19 year old apprentice when he won the 1967 Mitchelson Cup on Bright Chief. He turns 70 on Sunday. Another retired jockey Des Wyatt turns 90 later this month. hedley 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
berzerk 107 Report post Posted October 2, 2017 Maybe one day someone in a position of power will wake up and admit our wet track racing is a dreadful betting medium, and do something about it! I could not bring myself to invest $1 on Saturday, or Sunday. Without robust turnover we can never grow stakes. A Strathayr and a couple of all-weathers would be a good start. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...