Cambridge Centenary Meeting v Te Aroha Grass Meeting

[Taku Umanga 194]

Is the club anticipating a lack of nominations for their well staked Centenary meeting on 11 January with the grass track meeting at Te Aroha being held the next day?

The programming conditions for Te Aroha would suggest so .....

4. RESTRICTED PROGRAMME: Owners and trainers please note that no more than ten races will be run at this meeting. If excess nominations are received, in consultation with trainers horses may then be required to transfer to a suitable race at the Waikato Bay of Plenty Harness meeting at Cambridge Raceway on the preceeding night race meeting on Fri, January 11, 2019.

[Nelli 434]

This looks a sensible move by the club with back to back meetings. It lets trainers nominate for their preferred track and race for their charges. But in the case that there are too many nominations, the club is providing the option, with consultation, to race at the Cambridge meeting. We all know higher stakes don't  necessarily mean full fields. There are more knowledgeable people than me on this site but I know as an owner I prefer my horses to race where they have a chance of getting a place, and not just making up the field and having their confidence smashed.

[tim vince 985]

100 percent right

 

[eljay 1,720]

Grass track racing at it's finest.     Hope if field selection is required they don't go on form as any form displayed would be for all weather surfaces which could be hindrance to grass trackers.     i.e. horses transferred to Cambridge should be those with all weather track form.

[tim vince 985]

Who decides

 

[eljay 1,720]

Usual suspects I spose !     One would hope a little nous is displayed

[tim vince 985]

U would have to be a super form guy.

[Taku Umanga 194]

5 hours ago, tim vince said:

Who decides

 

The owners and trainers will decide ultimately

[Taku Umanga 194]

115 for the centenary meeting (with noms left open) so far - more than I thought they'd get.

151 for the grass at Te Aroha ...... doesn't that let the club know what owners and trainers prefer!

[tim vince 985]

Prob think grass easier which is not always the case.there are a lot of trainers who tell owners wait for grass.translation your horse is slow.not always but often

 

[Taku Umanga 194]

I personally think both owners and trainers prefer a picnic style day meeting on the grass rather than a night meeting.  The noms support that and the powers that be should be promoting these meetings in order to attract new interest rather than attempting to shut them down all together.

[tasman man 11 979]

5 hours ago, Taku Umanga said:

I personally think both owners and trainers prefer a picnic style day meeting on the grass rather than a night meeting.  The noms support that and the powers that be should be promoting these meetings in order to attract new interest rather than attempting to shut them down all together.

Sorry,

I think you misguided in your thinking.

It's obvious the meetings are complementary and the numbers OK.

The grass track meeting has an Amateurs race and a Junior drivers race.

Those two races add 20 horses.

Cambridge has a Group 3 trot and a Group 2 pace ,plus a 3 yr old race with rating 60-75 made up of horses not interested in the grass track.

Put these FACTS in the blender and one can conclude as they say in 'The Castle'.........I think you're dreaming !

[Taku Umanga 194]

22 minutes ago, tasman man 11 said:

Sorry,

I think you misguided in your thinking.

It's obvious the meetings are complementary and the numbers OK.

The grass track meeting has an Amateurs race and a Junior drivers race.

Those two races add 20 horses.

Cambridge has a Group 3 trot and a Group 2 pace ,plus a 3 yr old race with rating 60-75 made up of horses not interested in the grass track.

Put these FACTS in the blender and one can conclude as they say in 'The Castle'.........I think you're dreaming !

115 noms vs 151 tells a different story

[Stables 577]

Well done Tasman Man. Any one who thinks grass track racing is going to be the saviour of Harness Racing is deluded. Just ask one or two of the 30,000 people who attend on NZ Cup day at Addington

[Blue 1,099]

46 minutes ago, Stables said:

Well done Tasman Man. Any one who thinks grass track racing is going to be the saviour of Harness Racing is deluded. Just ask one or two of the 30,000 people who attend on NZ Cup day at Addington

Not exactly apples with apples Stables. 30,000 people from a City with a population of 400,000 and a large percentage getting on the piss and not interested in the horses or betting (fashions, young ones, Uni students etc, etc) and just following the hype of Cup and Show week.Grass track racing ALONE will not be the saviour of harness racing but it certainly has a place, more viable, in fact, than an all-weather galloping track IMHO. Chris Gibbs said "We have to pour a lot of water on the Ruakaka track. I thought it was going to be a little too firm." FFS it's a sand track. No galloping trainers want to run on a summer track these days.

[Taku Umanga 194]

151 is by far the biggest number of nominations seen at any north island meeting for a very long time.

I never stated that grass track racing was the industries saviour, but is clearly what the stakeholders want at this time of year.

[tasman man 11 979]

36 minutes ago, Taku Umanga said:

151 is by far the biggest number of nominations seen at any north island meeting for a very long time.

I never stated that grass track racing was the industries saviour, but is clearly what the stakeholders want at this time of year.

I'm sure it will be ripper and the beaches of the Coromandel will be deserted !

My big question is how will the milk be delivered and how will the farmers plough their fields on Saturday ?

[Taku Umanga 194]

7 hours ago, tasman man 11 said:

My big question is how will the milk be delivered and how will the farmers plough their fields on Saturday ?

...... and that's exactly the attitude that brought about the demise of clubs like Matamata ..... should have been racing on the grass on a weekend but stuck to their weekday meeting on the grit at Cambridge until their death.

[eljay 1,720]

So the first die is cast - fields for Cambridge finalised.     Only 94 horses carded from the original noms of 115 .     Seems either some trainers nominated in the morning for fun then withdrew them at midday or some have been eliminated.    But I don't think the latter, as they have 3 races of 8 3 races of 9 2 of 10 1 of 11 1 of 12.      I can't work this out but perhaps Mr Vince knows why such a drop of has occurred

[Taku Umanga 194]

2 hours ago, eljay said:

So the first die is cast - fields for Cambridge finalised.     Only 94 horses carded from the original noms of 115 .     Seems either some trainers nominated in the morning for fun then withdrew them at midday or some have been eliminated.    But I don't think the latter, as they have 3 races of 8 3 races of 9 2 of 10 1 of 11 1 of 12.      I can't work this out but perhaps Mr Vince knows why such a drop of has occurred

There were lots of double ups between the two meetings when original noms closed

[tim vince 985]

Right.its called choice.i think with fields ok considering double up.

[eljay 1,720]

Te Aroha fields now out.     Restriction of 10 races dropped.      The trainers have clearly shown their preferred option.     

By my count 139 horses - noms were 151.    Drop off less than the night before.

 

[tasman man 11 979]

10 hours ago, Taku Umanga said:

...... and that's exactly the attitude that brought about the demise of clubs like Matamata ..... should have been racing on the grass on a weekend but stuck to their weekday meeting on the grit at Cambridge until their death.

Should have ,could have ,would have......but circumstances change !

In 1965 Forbury Park held the Interdominion Champs ,both Pacers and Trotters.....plus for years after they held an Annual Festival Cup meeting in late January over 3 nights and Cup class pacers contested the event culminating in a 3200m final for the Cup.

Dunno what happened between then and now but other than Forbury having the odd meeting at Wingatui on the grass in recent years it could be linked to Matamata Harness racing.

I googled Matamata Harness and a story came up from March 11 ,1908.......thats over 110 years ago !

The day had a hurdle race ,a few gallops races then ended with a '2 mile' trot !

Why did these clubs ever change ?

I loved that Festival Cup meeting like you obviously enjoyed the Matamata trots ....

[tasman man 11 979]

42 minutes ago, eljay said:

Te Aroha fields now out.     Restriction of 10 races dropped.      The trainers have clearly shown their preferred option.     

By my count 139 horses - noms were 151.    Drop off less than the night before.

 

Clearly Mr Eljay ,

From my very recent experience ALL trainers I deal with like to see our horses in their colours be at least competitive in their races.

If they can compete they aim to line up at Greenlane Road , or look at Group races at Cambridge.

If they run a bit slower or prefer anti-clockwise or Junior driver or amateur driver they target Cambridge.

If a bit slower and horse and trainer will enjoy a trip they go to Palmy.

Finally ,the option is grass ....a good option for slower horses .

Choice it is.

[eljay 1,720]

I hope you not inferring Mt T Man that all starters at Te Aroha are (let's say) uncompetitive .     But from what I've seem over the years these horses enjoy a run on the softer grass rather than the rock hard they seem to get at the all weathers and also - maybe more importantly - the trainers love to park on the grass under tents fire up the barbies swill the fizzies and reminisce about circuits past.

Finally I (as you no doubt) wish the Waikato Club a successful centenary and a super day under the mount and the palms.