MalcolmH 40 Report post Posted May 15, 2019 Given the lousy weather down south for the last three days horses and spectators will all need flippers and snorkels on Sunday!! It has been raining steadily all night with flooding in Invercargill and surrounds so would imagine Riverton to be faring no better.Good luck!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rum 1,833 Report post Posted May 16, 2019 8 hours ago, MalcolmH said: Given the lousy weather down south for the last three days horses and spectators will all need flippers and snorkels on Sunday!! It has been raining steadily all night with flooding in Invercargill and surrounds so would imagine Riverton to be faring no better.Good luck!! Looking at that field , weather and going it is going to be a very average race, plodders plodding through the bog. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad 1,558 Report post Posted May 16, 2019 Iconic race, but in all fairness, not the race it used to be, much like many feature races, throughout the country, many just glorified hack races. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rum 1,833 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 On 5/16/2019 at 8:30 PM, Shad said: Iconic race, but in all fairness, not the race it used to be, much like many feature races, throughout the country, many just glorified hack races. Race was better than I thought it would be , first two not too bad and course looks well looked after from only watching on TV though . Rest of field really are of little account though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue 1,099 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 Course should be ok for the jumpers. Only a handful went round and two or three pulled up. Poor spectacle I thought Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rum 1,833 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 13 minutes ago, Blue said: Course should be ok for the jumpers. Only a handful went round and two or three pulled up. Poor spectacle I thought I suppose I had very low expectations for the race so when first two fought on in straight it exceeded my expectations.It's likely jump racing will be gone in few years in South Island outside GN meeting and only northern horses keeping that going .I see Speedy Jax had decent win over in OZ today . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,868 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 6 minutes ago, Red Rum said: I suppose I had very low expectations for the race so when first two fought on in straight it exceeded my expectations.It's likely jump racing will be gone in few years in South Island outside GN meeting and only northern horses keeping that going .I see Speedy Jax had decent win over in OZ today . I can't really see the GN meeting carrying on if jumps racing stops in the rest of the SI. Riccarton provides no jumps racing itself outside of the GN and there are virtually no jumpers trained in Canterbury. I imagine there are all sorts of clever highly paid people proposing various initiatives to try and revitalise jumping in the South, but I have missed reading about it. dock leaf, Red Rum, Black Kirrama and 1 other 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurnyTom 1,542 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 Would rather watch a 1200 maiden from Wallaroo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad 1,558 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 53 minutes ago, TurnyTom said: Would rather watch a 1200 maiden from Wallaroo I think that's abit rough. Memphis2 and Insider 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,868 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 8 minutes ago, Shad said: I think that's abit rough. I think he meant he has a short attention span and a 1,200m in the bush is over quicker than a 5 minute steeplechase. Shad, Insider and Pam Robson 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurnyTom 1,542 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 Taking the Michael Trackshit would probably show Wallaroo and promote the bush before an iconic GW It's how it rolls with Trackshit Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
puha 2,177 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 Pretty sad state if that was all the jumpers they could muster up . Loved the jumps course but where are the numbers ? We're Doomed 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,868 Report post Posted May 19, 2019 1 hour ago, puha said: Pretty sad state if that was all the jumpers they could muster up . Loved the jumps course but where are the numbers ? To be totally honest SI racing is appallingly run. It seems to exist in the dark ages. It would cost very little to get a decent pattern of racing going in the SI. Look at Timaru last week. 7 races programmed, eventually one split to make 8. Dozens of horses balloted and eliminated in rating 65s and maidens as there are in Canty every week.. How clever would someone have to be to say "why don't we include a maiden 2yo and perhaps a 3yo fillies over 1,200m, just for a bit of variety". Run 10 races for a change to give everyone a chance. What is the last innovative thing that has been done in the SI? What is the last new race anyone can remember being added? What is being done to encourage 2yos, what is being done to encourage 3yos over multiple distances, what is being done to encourage jumpers? What is being done to encourage trainers and jockeys. These aren't things that cost much money at all, but they are things that require some knowledge of racing: so who can anyone think of amongst the highly paid that has sufficient racing knowledge to implement such initiatives? I think that in the absence of any real leadership in the South a panel of the six or so most intelligent Southern trainers need to get together and say "right, this is what needs to be done, or else we are all stuffed". I don't actually think John and his mates would even mind as they really don't give a stuff about the SI and would be quite happy just to see it die off. hedley, dock leaf, puha and 4 others 5 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam Robson 1,551 Report post Posted May 20, 2019 Great post. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,868 Report post Posted May 24, 2019 On 5/20/2019 at 1:28 PM, Pam Robson said: Great post. Sadly, a subject that is of interest to only a small minority. I wonder if the SI trainers and owners ever complain about the incompetence inherent in SI Racing. Take today at Wingatui for instance. 20 balloted horses and probably another 15-20 eliminated. Not a single balloted horse got a start. Only one horse that was in a field scratched. All the ballots and eliminated horses in rating 65 and maiden races. In contrast, not a single ballot at Trentham. And four open races at Ellerslie and Trentham this weekend with 6, 11, 6 and 7 starters. This is surely a sign that the structure of racing in the South is all wrong. The pattern of feature race-meetings and industry days isn't appropriate to the South. It only works if there is a choice of one of each, each week. Why run only 8 races at Wingatui when there are clearly enough horses to run 10 races? The only 2yo race in the SI this month was a listed race at Riccarton on the 4th. And yet there are dozens of 2yos going around at the trials. Why would anyone race a 2yo in the South? How do trainers organise syndicates to race horses when new "investors" want a quick return and yet there are few opportunities for 2yos. And very few opportunities for 3yos at this time of year, at a time when 3yos are winning maiden races all over and owners would aspire to try their budding champs against their own age group. It is easy for everyone to focus on the waste involved in a $50m computer system, but what about the wasted opportunities through not investing more effort and common sense into running SI Racing. I sadly can't see a committee of "change" experts suddenly turning all of this around. I think more could be achieved by one person with a vision and a passion for the game.. dock leaf, napier, Aaron Bidlake and 3 others 5 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurnyTom 1,542 Report post Posted May 24, 2019 SI racing is totally fooked - I doubt if one trainer is on the right side of the ledger - it us totally fooked Thank god we have Aussie racing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...