Berri 2,131 Report post Posted April 30, 2017 So let's just look at Taupo....and this is second hand but I believe the guy that told me. Taupo recently had their race meeting abandoned. I understand that the instruction was to put urea over the track, let the grass grow a,d then cut it a day before the meeting. It rained a bit...so a combination of rye grass cuttings, the wrong length of cut, urea surface (remember that urea was first used by the US air force to create runways in the pacific Islands during WWII as the petro chemical structure made sure the ground compacted well underneath, the wrong grass type and the wrong fertiliser management program has created chaos. Why can't people see this can be changed quite quickly? We're Doomed 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted April 30, 2017 About time Gary Foskett got on the phone and had a chat to Mick Goodie the Flemington Track Manager. Hate to admit it but Mick is light years ahead of any of his Kiwi counterparts. Black Kirrama and We're Doomed 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eeebee 3 Report post Posted April 30, 2017 Does anyone know what compensation we are getting for our horses that did not get to race after the meeting been abandoned as i have sent 2 e-mail to NZTR and had no answer? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpole 483 Report post Posted April 30, 2017 1 hour ago, Eeebee said: Does anyone know what compensation we are getting for our horses that did not get to race after the meeting been abandoned as i have sent 2 e-mail to NZTR and had no answer? why do you want compensation? Its called the luck of the draw or bad luck gary1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,824 Report post Posted April 30, 2017 15 minutes ago, rumpole said: why do you want compensation? Its called the luck of the draw or bad luck The suggestion above is that it was more bad management than bad luck Rumpole 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 May 1, 2017 3 hours ago, Berri said: So let's just look at Taupo....and this is second hand but I believe the guy that told me. Taupo recently had their race meeting abandoned. I understand that the instruction was to put urea over the track, let the grass grow a,d then cut it a day before the meeting. It rained a bit...so a combination of rye grass cuttings, the wrong length of cut, urea surface (remember that urea was first used by the US air force to create runways in the pacific Islands during WWII as the petro chemical structure made sure the ground compacted well underneath, the wrong grass type and the wrong fertiliser management program has created chaos. Why can't people see this can be changed quite quickly? To be fair to Gary Foskett Berri he is VERY anti Urea being used on racetracks. I know that because of the direct contact our Club has with him As for the Aussie well Mick Goodie might be a good man but he (1) probably does not have to put up with the weather extremes we do here (2) has a lot more money to spend courtesy of the state government and (3) is a bit precious anyway isn't he - didn't they get stuck into Michelle Payne for criticizing him? THE TORCH 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eeebee 3 Report post Posted May 1, 2017 So you think that the costs for transport,jockey,noms should be all on the owner who is already paying there own costs and training fees to have to turn around and go home again!!! Black Kirrama 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitzy 143 Report post Posted May 1, 2017 7 hours ago, gubellini said: About time Gary Foskett got on the phone and had a chat to Mick Goodie the Flemington Track Manager. Hate to admit it but Mick is light years ahead of any of his Kiwi counterparts. You cant be serious, the Flemington track has been dreadful since the Spring. The track bias was so bad at the Autumn carnival (Aus Gns and Aus Cup) that nothing that didn't draw inside 6 and run on pace had any hope of winning. Michelle Payne called him out and rightly so. THE TORCH and Turny 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted May 1, 2017 Thanks fitzy. Track bias or not very few Flemington meetings are called off due to track conditions. Four meetings in a week over the Cup Carnival is a big ask and any Track Manager is likely to cop criticism in that situation. We're Doomed 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
army 156 Report post Posted May 2, 2017 I was at Taupo as had a horse in the first. No sure what the track staff were told but the track looked good to start with and had a cushion on it. The rain that came before the 3rd race was heavy and it really just teamed down for a good 15 to 20 minutes at least. I would say no matter which course it was at for the amount of heavy rain we had in that brief time would have more than likely affected any track. I am not defending anyone I am just stating what I experienced. It was heavy rain not just light showers. We're Doomed and Huey 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdytdy 5,335 Report post Posted May 2, 2017 One week later 24 trial heats were held with no problem. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huey 2,037 Report post Posted May 2, 2017 1 hour ago, army said: I was at Taupo as had a horse in the first. No sure what the track staff were told but the track looked good to start with and had a cushion on it. The rain that came before the 3rd race was heavy and it really just teamed down for a good 15 to 20 minutes at least. I would say no matter which course it was at for the amount of heavy rain we had in that brief time would have more than likely affected any track. I am not defending anyone I am just stating what I experienced. It was heavy rain not just light showers. No one wants to admit it , but the weather is fXXking up a lot of race meetings. We're Doomed and army 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
puha 2,177 Report post Posted May 2, 2017 On 5/1/2017 at 1:10 PM, Eeebee said: So you think that the costs for transport,jockey,noms should be all on the owner who is already paying there own costs and training fees to have to turn around and go home again!!! Get used to it we had that experience three times over a month with the same horse which totalled approx 1500 kms of travelling . We're Doomed 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trump 2,741 Report post Posted May 2, 2017 On 1 May 2017 at 3:28 PM, fitzy said: You cant be serious, the Flemington track has been dreadful since the Spring. The track bias was so bad at the Autumn carnival (Aus Gns and Aus Cup) that nothing that didn't draw inside 6 and run on pace had any hope of winning. Michelle Payne called him out and rightly so. Rubbish Fitzy! The Aust Cup was won by Humidor, which settled 3rd last from the start to the 400. Watch the replay. Jameka settled 2nd outside/or behind the leader but couldn't hold off the run of Humidor from near last on the turn. As for the Guineas, Hey Doc settled in 4th spot and held off an unlucky Prized Icon, which had settled mid-field in the run. Third went to Snitson which came from near last! So what was wrong with the track? How many times do you hear of Flemington races being abandoned because of the track? Rarely. gubellini 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubellini 3,923 Report post Posted May 2, 2017 Really good horses can overcome so called track biases. Tipsters often trot out track bias as an excuse when their tips fail abysmally. Very few Victorian meetings are abandoned. Surely we can tap into their obvious expertise! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget 4,489 Report post Posted May 2, 2017 Taupo is mostly pumice isn't it, that sort of light texture anyway, bit like Te Teko, and whilst that type of material chips out it is normally quite loose and safe. Maybe there was a visibility issue if the rain was that heavy on the day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berri 2,131 Report post Posted May 3, 2017 Visuals weren't the problem....the slippery surface was. Long uniform high fibre rye grass, with no underfoot root and humus cushion through over use of nitrogen, grass cuttings and water at the wrong time created a skating rink. Two problems....not good surface management and an average weather forecasting system. Both can be changed very quickly and easily Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...