RaceCafe..#1...Tipsters Thread.... Share Your Fancies For Fun...Lets See Who The Best Tipsters Here Are.
john legend

the jewels back to Ashburton .yes

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I may be a lone voice but I believe a series of mile races at a good track such as Ashburton should have continued to develop a tradition. The mile still has its magic as does racing away from the 2 big stages of Addington /Auckland. To now reveal all races will be 1980 mtres mobiles with 8 across front is a letdown .While I grasp the great facilities at Addington  I am sure any perceived inconvenience of Ashburton (one reply was that it was too cold in June there !)could have been overcome. For HRNZ to  not support smaller clubs is a diservice to the wider industry. The day when the pacing cake reduces to basically a 2 track  Industry with say 5 or 6 feeder clubs (of no particular significance)will be the day the "experts" realise the downward betting spiral will accelerate.. Look out Cambridge, as the harness jewels will surely become based at Alexandra Park along with Addington. The talk of a bidding process is a farce as the will of HRNZ is fixed on the "easier" roles of the 2 giant Clubs. 

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Your not alone JL.   I think there is more glamour around the mile races and 1980m is a weakening of the whole concept.  Also different atmosphere at Alex & Addington. I really hope it goes back to Ashburton after Cambridge.

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59 minutes ago, lamour said:

Your not alone JL.   I think there is more glamour around the mile races and 1980m is a weakening of the whole concept.  Also different atmosphere at Alex & Addington. I really hope it goes back to Ashburton after Cambridge.

I understand your point of view but I think we should give Addington a fair go before we condemn them. The Jewels was getting stale, in my humble opinion, so a change of format and venue is worth trying. If it doesn't work we can go back to the previous system. The longer journey of 1980m will give more horses a chance as draw not as important as at a mile. The biggest question mark over the day is the starter, Mr Lamb,  in my humble opinion of course.

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addington should be great for change and also would like to see Auckland get it at least one year . The 1980m doesn’t really worry will still be outstanding mile rate  times. Auckland 1609 is that bad also. Cambridge and Ashburton have done a good job but it has died off abit the last few years. Still think calendar year stakes qualification and 2nd or 3rd week January  jewels day would attract a lot more horses and people to the day. 

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10 hours ago, Thejanitor said:

Q. The longer journey of 1980m will give more horses a chance as draw not as important as at a mile. The biggest question mark over the day is the starter, Mr Lamb,  in my humble opinion of course.

Shouldn't be a problem if they're all mobiles. These horse are basically the best of the best so if they are good enough to qualify, if they don't score up they get left behind. No second chances.

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Just an opinion but I don't think the Jewels should have been shifted. Having them in the real "Heartland" of the industry gives them a passion whereas holding them at the major tracks just makes them another industry meeting. I think the concept is good and perhaps the timing of them could be changed to cater for better crowds , weather etc however I think the real killer now is the predictability of the results same old same old. Looking at this years (unless the Aust invites are any good) the only really open race is the 4 yr old trotters and there are some very good horses in that.

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1 hour ago, Fartoomuch said:

Im wondering how long NZMTC will sustain losses on the event before they kick it for touch or is it going to be one of those events where the board want prestige over profits

If Ashburton & Cambridge can afford them I wouldn’t have thought it would be a problem for Addington.   Doesn’t the stake money come from HRNZ anyway?

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3 hours ago, lamour said:

If Ashburton & Cambridge can afford them I wouldn’t have thought it would be a problem for Addington.   Doesn’t the stake money come from HRNZ anyway?

Could they , im pretty sure that a trust was involved in funding. That wont be the case for NZMTC but i could be wrong

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2 hours ago, Fartoomuch said:

Could they , im pretty sure that a trust was involved in funding. That wont be the case for NZMTC but i could be wrong

I could be wrong but i'm pretty sure the clubs don't supply the stake money, or the vast majority of it anyway

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Not wanting to veer off track with the subject, but... 

I saw an electronic billboard in Christchurch's CBD today advertising the harness jewels. This is a great marketing tool as it should increase awareness of the product and hopefully stimulate a bit more excitement and spark some interest within the general public. 

Well, it's got no hope as the font is so small it's ridiculous, the graphics are non-descript and the whole message is missed. It was missed by me and I'm an active industry participant (that doesn't wear glasses, so my eyesight is fine). 

If the message is missed on me, how the hell is the message going to be picked up by the general public, which generally speaking, most are not industry participants? 

I applaud officialdom marketing the event. But do it properly, make the most of the opportunity (not to mention the expense), or you may as well not do it at all. 

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3 weeks (roughly) to go.    Then if it's a success there will be a flood of "told you so" posts.     If it fails, there will be a flood of "told you so" posts.       Only certainty, there WILL be a flood of posts - oh well, you don't have to read/believe them!

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2 hours ago, eljay said:

3 weeks (roughly) to go.    Then if it's a success there will be a flood of "told you so" posts.     If it fails, there will be a flood of "told you so" posts.       Only certainty, there WILL be a flood of posts - oh well, you don't have to read/believe them!

Its a given as you say. Any clues on which side of the fence you are on at this stage lloyd

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