A Small Rant

[We're Doomed 5,720]

I know some people think I can be a bit negative, but I will bravely make just one little comment about Riccarton last Saturday.

I noticed in the race-book a full page notice regarding no byo on the last day for those with members carparks. Anyone attempting to sneak in a bottle of Prosecco was virtually threatened with a public flogging then execution in the birdcage just before the Cup.

Now, I do have some sympathy for racing clubs these days. They are under pressure from the wowser brigade police and health activists who hate the idea of anyone having any fun.

My actual rant involves the official drinks provided on course for the captive market. I headed into the bar on course on Saturday with the idea of indulging in a small Chardonnay. I was shocked to see that the drinks offering consisted of Speights and Steinlager and three wines. Lindauer as the sparkling option and Kopiko Bay Sav Blanc and Rose. No reds on offer.

Now, if somebody tried really hard they might be able to find a worse wine in NZ than Kopiko Bay, but they would have to try really hard and would need a lot of luck.

When it was $30 to get in the gate on Saturday, more next week, and $10 for a race-book I would have thought the club would make an effort to be slightly more up market. That selection of wines is really just taking the piss and ripping off the punter. Even rugby games do better than that these days.  When I last went to Cup Day they had a champagne bar, which at least provided a bit of variety.

It was also a bit of a shock to find you couldn't even use cash in the bar. If there was one venue you would expect to see some cash floating around I would have thought it might be a race-meeting.

[Arkham 37]

Its not just Riccarton as you probably realize.  Most if not all clubs are clearly beholden to Lion or another major distributor and limited to supermarket brands like the horrid Kokipo Bay.   But that's no excuse for not having a chardonnay or a red, especially when some people myself included would rather drink horse piss than Sav Blanc.   Based on the ridiculous price i was recently charged on course for a capful of Ned Pinot Gris im also guessing a small chardonnay would have been just that and $10 for a racebook is also taking the piss unless it came with a $10 betting voucher. . 

[TurnyTom 1,714]

Would not have thought it would have been too hard to have a reasonable range of the small wine bottles available with customers choices in mind, it ain’t difficult is it

Hospo 101 surely

[JJ Flash 2,549]

39 minutes ago, We're Doomed said:

I know some people think I can be a bit negative,

Surely you jest Doomed

[We're Doomed 5,720]

I do realise I am not the target market anymore, an actual punter is better off sitting at home these days with a big TV and a laptop with form, listening to the in depth analysis on trackside, and a choice of their own beverages. But the actual attendance on course on Saturday were hardly the dregs of society. They were mostly very smartly dressed, and well behaved young people, who I assume would be reasonably discerning. They even had the Prime Minister there. I wonder if they offered him a Kopiko Bay sav? Although after one of his ministers misbehaved a few weeks ago they might all be on a sav ban.

[We're Doomed 5,720]

34 minutes ago, Arkham said:

 and $10 for a racebook is also taking the piss unless it came with a $10 betting voucher. . 

I am a bit out of touch these days and the $10 did surprise me, especially after a race-book of similar size and quality only cost $5 at Hastings. Although to be fair they did only manage one race at Hastings.

[Chris Wood 1,649]

Kokopiko Bay is the worst wine I have ever put to my lips, what a joke. I always enjoy a trip to Riccarton, good facilities, plenty of ambience for Cup week, and this week I hope will be no different,  

Hopefully my horse performs in the Cup!

[nomates 5,273]

1 hour ago, We're Doomed said:

I know some people think I can be a bit negative, but I will bravely make just one little comment about Riccarton last Saturday.

I noticed in the race-book a full page notice regarding no byo on the last day for those with members carparks. Anyone attempting to sneak in a bottle of Prosecco was virtually threatened with a public flogging then execution in the birdcage just before the Cup.

Now, I do have some sympathy for racing clubs these days. They are under pressure from the wowser brigade police and health activists who hate the idea of anyone having any fun.

My actual rant involves the official drinks provided on course for the captive market. I headed into the bar on course on Saturday with the idea of indulging in a small Chardonnay. I was shocked to see that the drinks offering consisted of Speights and Steinlager and three wines. Lindauer as the sparkling option and Kopiko Bay Sav Blanc and Rose. No reds on offer.

Now, if somebody tried really hard they might be able to find a worse wine in NZ than Kopiko Bay, but they would have to try really hard and would need a lot of luck.

When it was $30 to get in the gate on Saturday, more next week, and $10 for a race-book I would have thought the club would make an effort to be slightly more up market. That selection of wines is really just taking the piss and ripping off the punter. Even rugby games do better than that these days.  When I last went to Cup Day they had a champagne bar, which at least provided a bit of variety.

It was also a bit of a shock to find you couldn't even use cash in the bar. If there was one venue you would expect to see some cash floating around I would have thought it might be a race-meeting.

Welcome WD why nobody goes to raceday anymore .

[Pegasus 9 659]

One word. Dinosaurs.

[We're Doomed 5,720]

32 minutes ago, Chris Wood said:

Kokopiko Bay is the worst wine I have ever put to my lips, what a joke. I always enjoy a trip to Riccarton, good facilities, plenty of ambience for Cup week, and this week I hope will be no different,  

Hopefully my horse performs in the Cup!

Good luck Chris. Perhaps when you accept make a note that you would like a decent Chardonnay chilling just in case.

[Chris Wood 1,649]

Savy B for me mate…..

[We're Doomed 5,720]

18 minutes ago, nomates said:

Welcome WD why nobody goes to raceday anymore .

It is a bit depressing. No sound for the Aussie races and only one channel, so when a Rosehill race got sent to channel 2 you couldn't see it. Really small TV screens as well.

[JJ Flash 2,549]

1 hour ago, We're Doomed said:

It is a bit depressing. No sound for the Aussie races and only one channel, so when a Rosehill race got sent to channel 2 you couldn't see it. Really small TV screens as well.

And thats why a certain CEO whose been there for near 30 years should not be. 

[nomates 5,273]

1 hour ago, We're Doomed said:

It is a bit depressing. No sound for the Aussie races and only one channel, so when a Rosehill race got sent to channel 2 you couldn't see it. Really small TV screens as well.

Working hard for the punter eh !

Anybody would think they would prefer if people stayed at home and punted . And they are perfecting the plan very well .

[CVance 32]

2 hours ago, Chris Wood said:

Kokopiko Bay is the worst wine I have ever put to my lips, what a joke. I always enjoy a trip to Riccarton, good facilities, plenty of ambience for Cup week, and this week I hope will be no different,  

Hopefully my horse performs in the Cup!

Your cup horse appears to be building nicely Chris 

Form

• 76432

[racingoutsider 300]

No dark beers either ...grrrr.

[richie 1,089]

I hardly ever go to the races now as everything is overpriced and limited choice.20 years ago I was at every gallop and harness meeting between Oamaru and Rangiora.Now I probably go 5 or 6 times a year and just about always only to Addington.Find the bar well stocked and the grub ok.Plenty of tvs too.

[Arkham 37]

2 hours ago, JJ Flash said:

And thats why a certain CEO whose been there for near 30 years should not be. 

The average (effective) tenure for a CEO is 8.5 years with an optimum 15 years - It's unconscionable the Riccarton CEO is still there after twice that long. Perhaps he wants to hit 40 years to overtake the bloke from New Plymouth.  

[Basil brush 256]

13 minutes ago, richie said:

I hardly ever go to the races now as everything is overpriced and limited choice.20 years ago I was at every gallop and harness meeting between Oamaru and Rangiora.Now I probably go 5 or 6 times a year and just about always only to Addington.Find the bar well stocked and the grub ok.Plenty of tvs too.

Same here Richie.Back in the 70's and early 80's when I was involved with Harness racing we would often go to Alexandra park on Friday night and then to the Northern gallops

meeting. Te Rapa /Paeroa /TeAroha.Then came Marriage/drink driving laws /worsening hospitality on course.

Nowadays record everything on Sky and watch races in batches every couple of hours.Makes watching 3 or 4 meetings  easy from the comfort of the sofa.Must get along to Te Rapa one day to meet Barry

[Pete Lane 1,247]

40 minutes ago, Basil brush said:

Same here Richie.Back in the 70's and early 80's when I was involved with Harness racing we would often go to Alexandra park on Friday night and then to the Northern gallops

meeting. Te Rapa /Paeroa /TeAroha.Then came Marriage/drink driving laws /worsening hospitality on course.

Nowadays record everything on Sky and watch races in batches every couple of hours.Makes watching 3 or 4 meetings  easy from the comfort of the sofa.Must get along to Te Rapa one day to meet Barry

We went to Paeroa one Saturday then drove back for Saturday night trots at Alex Park.

It's fair to say we'd all had enough by about Race 5 in the evening.

[Idolmite 3,246]

10 minutes ago, Pete Lane said:

We went to Paeroa one Saturday then drove back for Saturday night trots at Alex Park.

It's fair to say we'd all had enough by about Race 5 in the evening.

And they say one can't have too much of a good thing

When I first got married we lived on the Hauraki Planes for a time, and enjoyed Paeroa and Thames gallops. We then shifted to Auckland and it was amazing how whenever the father-in-law visited there was always a meeting at Alexandra Park!!!!.....but that was back when even a so-called nothing-meeting midweek was worth attending. 

Soon the north will only host gallops meetings (and all the big ones), and the south only harness meetings. It's a sad state of affairs. What will the CD be left with?

[chevy86 2,871]

21 minutes ago, Idolmite said:

. What will the CD be left with?

Bevan Sweeney.

[Ohokaman 6,389]

4 hours ago, JJ Flash said:

And thats why a certain CEO whose been there for near 30 years should not be. 

And that’s why the offering at Riccarton is of similar vintage JJ.  Whole place needs a transplant to 2024.

[racingoutsider 300]

5 hours ago, racingoutsider said:

No dark beers either ...grrrr.

On that note, there are some very good craft brewers in Canterbury. You'd think the CJC might consider offering a couple of their products for patrons on these days. Those brewers might sponsor a race in return. I intend to go on cup day and give it another go but if I get my beer served up divided between two plastic wine glasses because they've run out of the beer ones, like last year, I'll walk straight back out.

[We're Doomed 5,720]

17 minutes ago, racingoutsider said:

On that note, there are some very good craft brewers in Canterbury. You'd think the CJC might consider offering a couple of their products for patrons on these days. Those brewers might sponsor a race in return. I intend to go on cup day and give it another go but if I get my beer served up divided between two plastic wine glasses because they've run out of the beer ones, like last year, I'll walk straight back out.

Lion obviously pays heaps for exclusive pouring rights and then pours their worst beers and wines. The sad thing is that while their wines aren't generally very flash, they do have some good beers, but choose not to pour them. Surely the club could ask them to provide at least one decent beer and wine in each of the bars.

Perhaps someone could report back on the offerings at Addington tomorrow.