pogo(aus) 876 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 i turned on the tv to watch todays races and up popped a harness race from meadowlands usa , and the winner lady shadow ran 1.49 boris reckons mount eden, manaroa, bay foyle, robin dundee, halwes, paleface, hondo and co must have been slugs bring back harold park , melbourne showgrounds, wayville etc these one mile tracks are rubbish Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kotare_Hunter 748 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 Australasian record currently 1:47.5 at "rubbish" track. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harewood 477 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 1 hour ago, pogo(aus) said: i turned on the tv to watch todays races and up popped a harness race from meadowlands usa , and the winner lady shadow ran 1.49 boris reckons mount eden, manaroa, bay foyle, robin dundee, halwes, paleface, hondo and co must have been slugs bring back harold park , melbourne showgrounds, wayville etc these one mile tracks are rubbish Very unusual post ........AND? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogo(aus) 876 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 2 hours ago, harewood said: Very unusual post ........AND? how 's that ? just an observation harewood menangle is a joke, its a white elephant, ghost city.... harold park was a great track. what next straight track racing for the red hots ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackSprat 947 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 There's a trend for clubs to sell off prime positions and use the funds to prop up the game in second class locations. But any on course "atmosphere" has disappeared as quickly as the track sizes have increased, to the point now where only the died-in-the-wool enthusiasts turn up on course any more. Trotting has virtually become a "made for television" product these days, and the people at the top seem to think big tracks and fast mile times are the answer to the games problems. Nothing culd be further from the truth. We're copying a US model that has been floundering for longer than we have. I wonder if it's dawned on any NZ administrators that the most successful, self sustaining track in Australasia also happens to have kept their great location, have the smallest track, the most competitive racing, and the crowd closest to the track? gazza123 and Hayden Sefonte 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john legend 743 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 nice of you Jack Sprat to mention Manawatu in your post. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KTQ 4 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 10 hours ago, JackSprat said: There's a trend for clubs to sell off prime positions and use the funds to prop up the game in second class locations. But any on course "atmosphere" has disappeared as quickly as the track sizes have increased, to the point now where only the died-in-the-wool enthusiasts turn up on course any more. Trotting has virtually become a "made for television" product these days, and the people at the top seem to think big tracks and fast mile times are the answer to the games problems. Nothing culd be further from the truth. We're copying a US model that has been floundering for longer than we have. I wonder if it's dawned on any NZ administrators that the most successful, self sustaining track in Australasia also happens to have kept their great location, have the smallest track, the most competitive racing, and the crowd closest to the track? Busselton? Hayden Sefonte 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harewood 477 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 Funny how people have such widely different oppions People hate Cambridge for the Jewels as it is too small, front running track favoring the draws, gloucester park for the IDs has been slammed for the same reason and here we have people saying that is what they want. Harold Park was a joke of a track as a betting proposition. get to the front and mostly all over. Sure the smaller tracks make for great spectacles and the public is close up but as a fairness option for giving the best horse the best chance to win they dont compare to Addington, Ashburton Melton Menangle etc etc. A balance to both is required. Smaller tracks for the spectacle and the larger tracks for the money races. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackSprat 947 Report post Posted July 9, 2017 I see the South Australian's are running a one-off (at this stage anyway), race meeting in November at the old 500m Wayville track at the Adelaide Showgrounds. It'll be interesting to see what sort of a turnout they get. The trouble with a one-off meeting like this that none of the modern day drivers know how to drive the small track any more. Plus unlike Wayville's heyday when they ran 16 or more per race, they'll probably be running scared of all the health and safety laws, and run 6 horse fields. But given the current state of trotting in SA that'll probably all the horses they can round up anyway! Having been to meetings at Wayville, the Melbourne Showgrounds, and Harold Park in their heyday, I'm afraid todays race meetings are very much a second rate spectacle, irrespective of how great the 1400m tracks are, how fast they're running, or what ever the name is of the latest superstar, never to be heard of again 2yo is! hsvman 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogo(aus) 876 Report post Posted July 10, 2017 Wayville... I had an old journo mate who sadly is no longer with us who made a Motza out of backing the pole marker back in the early seventies, and who could forget Hello winning the last at HP back in the day , Legality Laurie moulds, perc hall,Kevin Newman, neutrodyne, precise lass, lumpy dean and co, Andy Vincent commentating, "by gee its close " , Ray Conroy, God bless, bookies everywhere, the leger packed too, beer in glasses, cardboard betting tickets, and stand starts 12 yards, 24 yards, 36 yards , the strands fly back, Boris and Zelda pawing through the trotguide, and a visit to the Toxteth, great days. if you sheep shearers are over here Bankstown is still worth a visit, don't expect a crowd or 50 plus bookies like the old days but the races have some action not the typical follow the leader like Menangle devoid of interest until the last 400. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsvman 294 Report post Posted July 10, 2017 The hardest part now is that the tracks have been set up to be as fast as possible it takes mid race moves almost out of play, Especailly in big money races where a lot more good horses are capable of running fast even sectional. Deeper slower tracks with create more action in races .With the right person on the job they could grade the tracks to mark the running line slightly deeper and thin it out the wider your get. Which would allow back wide runners a chance to get closer and potentially more horses in the frame for photo finishers. It doesn't have to be a noticeable different so the leaders run half way up the track to get better ground but the slightest depth difference could create great racing.With tracks so hard and fast now going wide cost you so much more ground than it should which makes races boring as leaders generally finish ahead of the pack with out much challengers up the straight. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden Sefonte 42 Report post Posted July 11, 2017 On 7/10/2017 at 7:32 PM, hsvman said: The hardest part now is that the tracks have been set up to be as fast as possible it takes mid race moves almost out of play, Especailly in big money races where a lot more good horses are capable of running fast even sectional. Deeper slower tracks with create more action in races .With the right person on the job they could grade the tracks to mark the running line slightly deeper and thin it out the wider your get. Which would allow back wide runners a chance to get closer and potentially more horses in the frame for photo finishers. It doesn't have to be a noticeable different so the leaders run half way up the track to get better ground but the slightest depth difference could create great racing.With tracks so hard and fast now going wide cost you so much more ground than it should which makes races boring as leaders generally finish ahead of the pack with out much challengers up the straight. Interesting thought. Those in the galloping code would be shocked to suggest deliberately curating tracks to create a track bias. Rather than alter the footing would increasing cambers help the situation at all? hsvman 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden Sefonte 42 Report post Posted July 11, 2017 On 7/9/2017 at 9:00 PM, JackSprat said: There's a trend for clubs to sell off prime positions and use the funds to prop up the game in second class locations. But any on course "atmosphere" has disappeared as quickly as the track sizes have increased, to the point now where only the died-in-the-wool enthusiasts turn up on course any more. Trotting has virtually become a "made for television" product these days, and the people at the top seem to think big tracks and fast mile times are the answer to the games problems. Nothing culd be further from the truth. We're copying a US model that has been floundering for longer than we have. I wonder if it's dawned on any NZ administrators that the most successful, self sustaining track in Australasia also happens to have kept their great location, have the smallest track, the most competitive racing, and the crowd closest to the track? You forgot the no passing lane and the finest climate for evening entertainment close to the city centre. Whether they are going good as an industry is questionable. On another note, RWWA and NZRB both totaled profits and subsequent distributions to the racing industry of about the same value to EOFY 2016. Despite this somehow their thoroughbreds race for at least twice as much at the Saturday meeting as a minimum and they race for $18k as a minimum base excluding conditioned events on a Friday night at the magnificent GP. Not sure how this works or why the massive discrepancy..... Maybe due to the one feature track per code with the smaller country tracks running at lesser stakes supporting and feeding the city meets rather than the even spread across the board like here in NZ. As much as it hurts to say it that is one tick for centralization. hsvman and globederby12 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...