We're Doomed 4,824 Report post Posted November 30, 2017 What a great field the open stayers race is at Cromwell. One of the best such fields I have seen in the South for ages; several proven open handicappers and some promising up-and-comers. A much better and higher rated field than the listed Wanganui Cup. And on that subject, I do feel Wanganui and Otaki clash with each other each year. What is the point having a $35,000 rating 85 stayers race at otaki for six horses when all of those horses should have been in the Wanganui Cup. Obviously not a brain surgeon who organised those programmes. Huey and THE TORCH 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattski 165 Report post Posted November 30, 2017 What is the point having a $35,000 rating 85 stayers race at otaki for six horses when all of those horses should have been in the Wanganui Cup. Couldn't agree more! Esp when we are short on higher rated stayers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad 1,540 Report post Posted December 1, 2017 Top field considering they could only muster a 7 horse field for the 2500m race on cup day, may have been different it it was a 11k race at gore. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dock leaf 142 Report post Posted December 1, 2017 Only problem with Patrick Erin winning, is him earning more weight for the Wellington Cup Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,824 Report post Posted December 3, 2017 Turned out to be a great days racing. Good to see good stakes and good fields at one of these summer meetings that attracts good crowds. THE TORCH 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOM(the other Molloy) 1,774 Report post Posted December 4, 2017 12 hours ago, We're Doomed said: Turned out to be a great days racing. Good to see good stakes and good fields at one of these summer meetings that attracts good crowds. We're you there WD? I was and much as it was a great crowd and good racing(and bloody lucky there was cloud cover for much of the day cos it was hot!) there were disturbing aspects in the organisation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,824 Report post Posted December 4, 2017 2 hours ago, TOM(the other Molloy) said: We're you there WD? I was and much as it was a great crowd and good racing(and bloody lucky there was cloud cover for much of the day cos it was hot!) there were disturbing aspects in the organisation. No I wasn't there Tom. I watched it on TV. I was just delighted to see good fields and good racing. Great ride from Tanya Jonker on that front running stayer. She must surely be the most improved jockey in the country. Tell us more about the poor organisation. THE TORCH 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fartoomuch 1,376 Report post Posted December 4, 2017 On 12/1/2017 at 10:16 PM, dock leaf said: Only problem with Patrick Erin winning, is him earning more weight for the Wellington Cup Its won bugger all money but paying the price for those SI wins under the ratings system. The owners turned down huge money for a half share a month or 2 back in an Ozzie deal but weren't interested Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad 1,540 Report post Posted December 5, 2017 20 hours ago, We're Doomed said: No I wasn't there Tom. I watched it on TV. I was just delighted to see good fields and good racing. Great ride from Tanya Jonker on that front running stayer. She must surely be the most improved jockey in the country. Tell us more about the poor organisation. Interesting ride thats for sure, probably may not do the horse any favors in the long run, in my opinion its teaches the horse to just jump and run, and when they get into that habit, makes it tough to change. She certainly has improved her riding, the true test is when she loses their claim. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOM(the other Molloy) 1,774 Report post Posted December 5, 2017 20 hours ago, We're Doomed said: No I wasn't there Tom. I watched it on TV. I was just delighted to see good fields and good racing. Great ride from Tanya Jonker on that front running stayer. She must surely be the most improved jockey in the country. Tell us more about the poor organisation. Well... I know it is a day like Kumara when they like to cater for the masses (ie a heap of young people - seemed to be mainly young ladies with English accents but anyway...). You were waiting half an hour in a queue for a beer(and it was HOT!). When you got to the head of the line the bar staff spent half an hour trying to work out the price(given the three prices were $5,$7 and $9 and you were only allowed four drinks initially then cut back to two but they still struggled apparently). I refused to queue until about race six when it was basically walk up to the bar and buy your beer - many of the young crowd having been escorted off the premises by that stage. My wife however having queued behind a young bloke for half an hour then heard him told 'no eftpos only cash' at the bar. Poor prick had to go get his cash then get in the back of the line. They did say there was another bar but when we went to find it it was at the top of the straight with hopeless speakers and no view. Plus some prick going boom boom boom with his stereo system. It soon filled too with at least 15min for a drink. They should have standardized drink prices and a cashier selling tickets so they process faster. Any bar operating like that would go broke quicksmart. So that was the drink situation. Then there was the issue of visibility. Cromwell has no grandstand just a big mound. Now their multitude of large corporate tents went right down to the rail so if you were standing at the top of the mound you couldn't see a bloody thing till about 150m out. Go down to the rail and the infield tents meant you couldn't see the back straight. Even from the top the view was impeded. Shift the effing tents back ya halfwits! Not everyone is in the bloody presidents hospo room up high. I know the Otago RC people don't often deal with huge crowds and my contribution is beggar all I guess but you cannot just cater for the once a year crowd. What's more I didn't back a winner(but I will be generous and not blame the ORC for that). It has been a good meeting for years that but in the period since I was last there it has gone to the pack. We're Doomed, THE TORCH, Patiti and 1 other 3 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,824 Report post Posted December 5, 2017 I do tend to agree with you Tom. Most clubs in that situaton tend to just take the money and run without any interest in the quality of the experience and whether people might come back. I understand byo doesn't exist anymore. I do know major sponsors who used to entertain in their own tent but haven't been back since byo ended. It might explain why they didn't have many major sponsors and the last race had an imaginative name something like "come back next year". Don't imagine there was much sponsorship money involved there. TOM(the other Molloy) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOM(the other Molloy) 1,774 Report post Posted December 5, 2017 21 minutes ago, We're Doomed said: I do tend to agree with you Tom. Most clubs in that situaton tend to just take the money and run without any interest in the quality of the experience and whether people might come back. I understand byo doesn't exist anymore. I do know major sponsors who used to entertain in their own tent but haven't been back since byo ended. It might explain why they didn't have many major sponsors and the last race had an imaginative name something like "come back next year". Don't imagine there was much sponsorship money involved there. Yes we wouldn't have minded buying a tent but at $600 min plus booze - and then no doubt only their own brands - and travelling from the West Coast we weren't sure we were even coming up till a week ago(and I doubt there would have been a refund). I wouldn't denigrate the quality of the experience - most of the young seemed to be very much enjoying themselves and I intend to recommend the day to my nephews next year - but from a purist's point of view it was not satisfactory. Like Kumara and Riccarton's Cup day - a necessary evil for the industry but not my cup of tea. If Kumara are ever forced to bar BYO then the appeal will quickly wither I would say(though Winnie promised to stop that happening so it will be interesting). At Riccarton on Cup day I queued for a beer for fifteen minutes - if I had not been shouting an old mate I would have walked out. Great days in the industry but not for me. THE TORCH 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...