What chance is there......

[Insider 3,960]

That the ARC can get the Ellerslie track back to the standard required to hold such an important meeting as the Karaka Millions on the 27th, with international visitors, both equine and human?

Should they transfer the meeting of the 14th to give the track a proper chance to repair itself?

 

[Guest 2Admin2]

2 minutes ago, Insider said:

That the ARC can get the Ellerslie track back to the standard required to hold such an important meeting as the Karaka Millions on the 27th, with international visitors, both equine and human?

Should they transfer the meeting of the 14th to give the track a proper chance to repair itself?

 

Good point.  It looks a shocker at the moment and I wouldn't run a valuable 2 yr old on it.  But moving the meeting - no chance.  It's all about a party for the big boys and the philistines.

[We're Doomed 4,865]

They could transfer it to Avondale and put up some tents.

[Nerula 1,403]

And if it rained put the parties in the bingo hall in the (really) old stand. A bit of flea powder an its good to go!

[army 156]

Why not counties

 

[rdytdy 5,343]

50 minutes ago, poundforpound said:

Insider, as much as I like you I have to advise that my learned friends from within the corridors of power tell me that the WRC should never have been allowed to keep those January dates when the yearling sales moved North.

Their interpretation is that the premier race days / carnival should be linked geographically to the sales, just as it is in every other racing country.

Any comments on that ?

Move the sales back to Trentham 

[Insider 3,960]

Just now, rdytdy said:

Move the sales back to Trentham 

I hear that the Sales are moving somewhere anyway.

Karaka has been sold for housing, so I was told yesterday!

The suggestion is the Sales will move to Waikato.

What then my dear friend poundforpound?

 

[We're Doomed 4,865]

59 minutes ago, poundforpound said:

Insider, as much as I like you I have to advise that my learned friends from within the corridors of power tell me that the WRC should never have been allowed to keep those January dates when the yearling sales moved North.

Their interpretation is that the premier race days / carnival should be linked geographically to the sales, just as it is in every other racing country.

Any comments on that ?

Auckland has never really wanted to put any premier days onto those dates. There has never been a proposal to move the Derby or Auckland Cup there. All they want on that day is sweepstake type races.

[Insider 3,960]

1 hour ago, poundforpound said:

Insider, as much as I like you I have to advise that my learned friends from within the corridors of power tell me that the WRC should never have been allowed to keep those January dates when the yearling sales moved North.

Their interpretation is that the premier race days / carnival should be linked geographically to the sales, just as it is in every other racing country.

Any comments on that ?

P for P, keeping on the subject, should the Sunday 18th date be moved to another venue to give the track a chance to recover or not?

If not, why not?

If so where to;  Avondale, Counties or Te Rapa? 

[We're Doomed 4,865]

Surely the big question is what fool thought Ellerslie could handle so much racing in such a short time period. All they were concerned about were the corporate opportunites not the track itself.

[Insider 3,960]

1 hour ago, poundforpound said:

Insider, as much as I like you I have to advise that my learned friends from within the corridors of power tell me that the WRC should never have been allowed to keep those January dates when the yearling sales moved North.

Their interpretation is that the premier race days / carnival should be linked geographically to the sales, just as it is in every other racing country.

Any comments on that ?

For your information, about 15 years ago a concerted effort was made to allow a proper carnival to be set around the Sales WITHOUT stuffing the Wellington Cup Carnival. It was a joint venture between the ARC and the WRC. Leading the Auckland team was Russel Warwick and leading the WRC team was Ron Dixon. What was agreed was to move the sales one  week further into February thus creating a one week gap between the Wellington Carnival week the new proposed Carnival.  Who was affected. To start with the Te Rapa Carnival was,  but that was going to be accommodated by a date that Auckland had/has in March as a Saturday would have come out of there and everyone would have shuffled along the one week if you understand what I mean.

The Derby would have moved to the new Carnival to show case our best, but instead we have a sweepstake for babies and now a million dollar 1600m race for three year old's that is stuffing the NZ pattern of racing.

Why didnt it happen? Because Peter Vela refused to move the Sales by one week.  

[Insider 3,960]

4 minutes ago, poundforpound said:

Avondale is by far the best track in Ak so it’s a no brainer.

Thank you.

For those of you mentioning the glitterati wouldn't be seen dead in West Auckland/ Avondale etc, I am only suggesting moving a minor Sunday date [18th Jan] when the glitterati wont be in attendance anyway!

[bloke 1,232]

3 hours ago, hesi said:

If you have lived in Auckland for many a long year, you know the glitterati would not be seen dead in West Auckland, it's well beneath the Dio crowd

Yet they go to that shit hole known as Stanley Street to watch the Tennis .

[fitzy 143]

3 hours ago, Insider said:

Why didnt it happen? Because Peter Vela refused to move the Sales by one week.  

Insider it’s nowhere near as simple as that. There is only a very small window of time to get the Aus trainers here for Karaka, moving a week either way could be a disaster. As it is it’s almost impossible to get all the main players here, trainers or owners. Karaka is only the 3rd ranked sale now and is in danger of slipping behind Melbourne which would be fatal to the breeding industry.

[ivanthegreat 1,123]

As we move closer some protagonists are loosing their anonymity.

[Nerula 1,403]

Laughable to think of the "glitterati" heading out to the west. They would need to get a clip on mullet, wear black and rent a Holden V8 to blend in.

Mind you if they go down to the 'Glades' the smell of onions would offend the olfactories. So they will stay home I reckon.

There are not many racing 'diehards' left now. Of the 15000 on course at Central on Boxing Day, 14000 won't go near a racecourse until the next one.

 

 

[Phantom 494]

Here's what the journalist who does the NZ timeform ratings said about Ellerslie BEFORE the Jan 1 meeting: 

10mm Irrigation This Morning

 This is terrifying as rain is forecast, so the amount of rain now matters……they have added more water a day out than Flemington puts on for Melbourne Cup Day and they have a multi-million dollar drainage systems plus dig up and replace the track every 5 years….hmmm…….if it rains tar-night (if it is tar-day on Trackside then that Alien language must mean it is tar-night) then this meeting is in danger of being absolute chaos and visual vomit…..the fact the rail is out unusual amounts tells you the track is farked…..it looks awful…..it is either holding glue or crumbling concrete…..nothing else…..is this 10mm an insurance watering?.....how wide on the track did they apply it is now very important too….this Auckland RC are known to cock up everything….my goodness.....when will they ban this watering so close to G1 racedays let alone other main meetings?

[Turny 1,224]

Pitty has been saying for years no water leave it alone 

 

 

 

[hizzy 52]

7 hours ago, We're Doomed said:

They could transfer it to Avondale and put up some tents.

Hell would freeze over before they did that They have stolen the Avondale cup

[Insider 3,960]

1 hour ago, fitzy said:

Insider it’s nowhere near as simple as that. There is only a very small window of time to get the Aus trainers here for Karaka, moving a week either way could be a disaster. As it is it’s almost impossible to get all the main players here, trainers or owners. Karaka is only the 3rd ranked sale now and is in danger of slipping behind Melbourne which would be fatal to the breeding industry.

You are 100% correct. However back then, there was the opportunity, as both the Magic Millions and the  Inglis Classic were earlier in Jan than they are now and the Melbourne Premier was later in February if I remember correctly. 

Now Karaka is jammed in with nowhere to more to, so the opportunity is/was lost. 

The concern that you have mentioned about the Melbourne Premier is REAL unfortunately.

I seriously question whether putting on a $1million 2 year old Race is doing us any favours at all. 

Personally I don’t think that it is. 

A serious rethink is needed right now, and I ask, shouldn’t we be playing to our strengths rather than coping MM and now Inglis with what they have just announced?

[Insider 3,960]

46 minutes ago, Phantom said:

Here's what the journalist who does the NZ timeform ratings said about Ellerslie BEFORE the Jan 1 meeting: 

10mm Irrigation This Morning

 This is terrifying as rain is forecast, so the amount of rain now matters……they have added more water a day out than Flemington puts on for Melbourne Cup Day and they have a multi-million dollar drainage systems plus dig up and replace the track every 5 years….hmmm…….if it rains tar-night (if it is tar-day on Trackside then that Alien language must mean it is tar-night) then this meeting is in danger of being absolute chaos and visual vomit…..the fact the rail is out unusual amounts tells you the track is farked…..it looks awful…..it is either holding glue or crumbling concrete…..nothing else…..is this 10mm an insurance watering?.....how wide on the track did they apply it is now very important too….this Auckland RC are known to cock up everything….my goodness.....when will they ban this watering so close to G1 racedays let alone other main meetings?

Put this man on the Board of the Auckland Racing Club as he very obviously knows what he is talking about. 

[We're Doomed 4,865]

35 minutes ago, hesi said:

and passed it around like a whore to suit their own indulgences

I can still remember most of the great horses who won the Avondale Cup through the 70s and 80s and into the 90s, but I couldn't tell you a single winner from the last ten years. Very sad.

[tasman man 11 979]

5 hours ago, We're Doomed said:

I can still remember most of the great horses who won the Avondale Cup through the 70s and 80s and into the 90s, but I couldn't tell you a single winner from the last ten years. Very sad.

2008   Tinseltown won from Ginga Dude.

Beautiful !

[Guest 2Admin2]

12 hours ago, hesi said:

In all fairness though to the ARC, they did increase the stake from 100K in 2017 to 200K in  2018

I thought NZTR increased the stake through policy.

[von Smallhaussen 3,226]

12 hours ago, hesi said:

1970	Taraleah	R M & Mrs Halliwell	7.5	G P Chitty	2.20
1971	Wiremu	J W A & Est J Tapp	7.10	G L Willetts	2.17
1972	Beatnik	M B Andrews & J S Irving	8.10	J A Messent	2.15.1
1973	Jan's Beau	K & Mrs Webb	5.7	G R Edge	2.12.8
1974	Hi-Bing	T H Knowles	55.5	G P Chitty	2.14
1975	Bellota	R J Curlett & H R Robinson	55	R J Skelton	2.13.22
1976	Paul de Brett	Clifton Bros	50.5	D H Graham	2.13.62
1977	Happy Union	W P Christian, R J Curlett & G J Luoni	53.5	P D Johnson	2.20.23
1978	Happy Union	W P Christian, R J Curlett & G J Luoni	55.5	P D Johnson	2.19.76
1979	Mr Ay Bee	A E Blake, I H Lornes, A W Predergast & DFW Simms	56.5	N W Tiley	2.13.96
1980	Shamrock	R J Mulcaster	52	N G Harris	2.14.24
1981	Alice	J Hancock & H Simmons	54	J A Cassidy	2.15.26
1982	Makorby	D P Harris, R F Smith & B J Treder	50	J A Cassidy	2.14.46
1983	Lucozade	G R Kells	51.5	T G Williams	2.14.71
1984	Cariere	J W Morris	52.25	R S Dye	2.15.61
1985	Eva Grace	D A & Mrs Bell	54	N J Hain	2.12.21
1986	Solveig	R E & W E Moore	52.25	G L Cooksley	2.14.40
1987	Trocane	K Taylor	53	G L Cooksley	2.15.01
1988	Maurine	A O'Malley	52	T K Allan	2.12.86
1989	Maurine	A O'Malley	51.5	M T Coleman	2.13.41
1990	Coconut Ice	K Kirby, E F Lamb, L J Stephens & I J Wallace	52.25	R B MacKay	2.16.69
1991	Val D'Arno	J E & K M O'Brien & H Power	52.75	P J Mercer	2.13.23

 Chitt's at 7.5 or 48kg - that's a few haircuts ago