Struggling

[GOM 1,017]

I cannot remember which thread this was being discussed in so started another.

     There was discussion about the lack of action from our organisation to foster distance racing and one suggestion was to schedule more distance features in our magazine.

       In the last few weeks both Waikato and Auckland have scheduled a class o middle distance race. In the case of Waikato they could not get only not get enough noms for heats they did not get enough to run just the final. Today noms closed for middle distance feature at Auckland and once again not enough to run heats, don't know about final but doesn't look promising.

       If we cannot get fikelds for middle distance feartures when carded what hope distance racing. It makes you wonder if people even bother trying to see if their dogs can run further than sprints.

      As i said in the other thread this is reality people, if you want to race greyhounds make sure you have dogs that are competitive at sprinting

[WhoKnows 791]

I can't recall the last time Auckland ran a maiden 527m, it could be a year or more, someone else might know but it is a reflection that people are happy to just sprint despite the money being pretty good for middle distance dogs now.

[it's a ballroom 174]

i think the last maiden 527 at Auckland was on Waterloo cup day 2015. 

[alltheway!!! 640]

57 minutes ago, GOM said:

I cannot remember which thread this was being discussed in so started another.

     There was discussion about the lack of action from our organisation to foster distance racing and one suggestion was to schedule more distance features in our magazine.

       In the last few weeks both Waikato and Auckland have scheduled a class o middle distance race. In the case of Waikato they could not get only not get enough noms for heats they did not get enough to run just the final. Today noms closed for middle distance feature at Auckland and once again not enough to run heats, don't know about final but doesn't look promising.

       If we cannot get fikelds for middle distance feartures when carded what hope distance racing. It makes you wonder if people even bother trying to see if their dogs can run further than sprints.

      As i said in the other thread this is reality people, if you want to race greyhounds make sure you have dogs that are competitive at sprinting

You are lucky to get a middle distance race in any grade up here these days

[I know 150]

It's a topic that has and always will be talked about but when the money is up you get 4 full fields of c5 520 dogs and will get 6 to 8 heats of NZ cup . Why can these dogs all run 520 when some have only run 300 in there last few starts ? I see at c0 at Otago today where they walked around for $2000 . Why not split the grading 

[lid pinger 33]

Would love to see G2s introduced to each club over the 603,630,645s,650 instead of just the extreme distances keep them as the G1s surely it wouldn't be that bad to see the collar drop from 80k to 40k and put the money into these sort of races just my thoughts 

[GOM 1,017]

Just to clarify my original post here. Auckland have run a class 0 race recently certainly this year, plus I see they have put the field for a final only at the end of the meeting summary for Sunday week so not as bleak as I first thought.

       The comments about 600m+ races begins to makes sense. The purists would say they are not really staying races but they are the starting point for stayers. It does not take much imagination to realise that an increase in dogs going 600m+ is more likely to expose those that can go further.

  The more I think of the problem the more I think it is not going to get better while we have the ingrained NZ attitude of racing several times a week. Waikato/Auckland, P North/ Wanganui/ Wanganui, Chch/ Chch etc. While you have people taking the usual advantage of double ups or even triple ups it appears only right to lessen the load by sprinting them.

    I remember when we had Matanuska going, he won his first two starts over 520 and several middle distance races after that but he was more competitive when kept to sprinting, most weeks that was limited to one start but when it was needed two sprints in the week it did not seem as daunting thus we kept sprinting him.

    It is only in recent years that Linda and I have followed the sheep and started sprinting young dogs then move up to see if they can handle middle. Prior to that it did not even enter my mind they would sprint. They were going to be middle distance dogs until they had absolutely proved they could not be. If we still stuck to that we would be lucky to get a qualifying race let alone a tote start.

[bunyarra 185]

Not certain it was the last one but Auckland ran a straight out 527m maiden final on 26/6/16 after failing to get heats the week prior.

I had three in it and whilst they weren't flash they couldn't sprint but as they couldn't get draws in the weeks before and after i ended up sending them down to the central districts. I now face the same dilemma again as I bred a litter which are now eighteen months old and they are dead set stayers, pathetic first sections over 375 but excellent run homes. I intentionally bred that way and it looks like i got what i wanted but now starting to regret it as they are going to have very limited opportunities. 

[modest mouse 469]

You just have to keep going. We never breed for sprinters. It is hard to get starts when they begin their career. But we slowly got there. 4 in middle distances this Sunday, and 1 sprint. And because of our situation, we can only race at Auckland. Don't become sheep, there's enough of them already. 

 

[JETSUN 100]

It is obvious that the trainers of the 10 dogs in the C0 final in 2 weeks time did not nominate for a straight C0 527 grade race as well for this Sunday, on the assumption that heats would not be held.

[GOM 1,017]

You should alter that statement Gordy to some of the tainers because we entered two for a straight C0 527 as well. (even though they go around in a circle)