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

Grass Tracks - Well said Doug Gale

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Quote from Garrick Knight

Gale says his family had an enjoyable day at the dual-code meeting and he hopes that officials were watching.

“It’s an amazing day with a big crowd – very popular with the locals and holidaymakers.

“It’s annoying to me that they aren’t running any of these meetings on the grass in January for various reasons.

“When you see the crowds they attract at the likes of Methven and Motukarara, it makes you wonder why we aren’t doing the same in the north.

“This year there is no Tauranga, no Te Aroha, no Te Awamutu and it will have serious repercussions going forward.

“Why can’t we organise ourselves to have good grass track racing through the summer when people are on holiday.

“It’s a day out for the family and gets young people interested in the sport.

“We need to be going out our way to ensure the grass circuit carries on through January and February.

“I really enjoyed it today; I loved getting back in to grass circuit racing, seeing the families out enjoying themselves.”

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2 hours ago, tim vince said:

Is dual code the answer.?)

 

Would be a win/ win Tim....would certainly give the horse more attention.

Some of these meetings lacking horses in quite a few races...Omakau only had 7 races today and Tauranga had  3 and 5 horse fields yesterday.Other races light too and i saw a trainer fined heavily for accepting ,then scratching to ensure race went ahead. I thought this commonplace !

These holiday venues that attract the holiday crowds IMO need to put more attention on the horse and dual code does this .

I drove 2 hours to Te Aroha today ,many travelled up to an hour from Coromandel locations...why ? A fun day with free stuff for kids , and adults brought BYO picnics and the other usual fun events , like Fashion contest [ country style !] and plenty for the kids.

Hard to fault but I soon realised that many folk ,even if they sit in stand don't see much of the horse...the brief preliminary , the race is like ants [so far away] with the final 150m giving some view.

No big screen , so much easier to sit inside and watch the TV.

I was reminded of the big race event in Stawell [Victoria] which is a foot race on grass !

When you and I implement our vision ,we will have harness as well , we will manicure the crossings , I will organise pony rides and kids karts for the young ones. Have a couple of celebrity dual cart races , some celebrities must holiday near there and also have some show jumping exhibitions.

The bigger race card will get people to stay longer ,buy more food and beer....but most of all we will make the HORSE the HERO !

Now we need to impress the programming 'suits' with our plans and probably get some more good  volunteer locals [ Rotary there today !] to give up their Public Holiday !

Maybe easier to just head to the beach !

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I got involved in Harness racing in North of NI about 6 years ago and the summer grass circuit has always been a highlight.. We would pick one or 2 meetings that we could make, organise family and friends and make a day of it.

Our trainer would always make an effort to have a bunch of horses racing and it was brilliant, great atmosphere, and  what appeared to be good crowds, there was even a dual code meeting at Ruakaka the first week of January with good numbers.

Obviously with the demise of the local trotting club this can't happen again, but the corresponding gallop meeting this  year has only 7 races and small fields.

Going to Alex Park  and Cambridge over and over has much of a sameness about it, the grass circuit was a refreshing change.

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Perhaps Kumeu could help at Ruakaka.     They used to "Dual" with Avondale at their venue.      Yes, another grass meeting lost.      Night cold dark wet windy Thursdays or Fridays are not where you attract new fans.     Until the clubs and HNZ and RITA/The Minister  realise this then we will continue on the present downward slide at an ever increasing speed.

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2 hours ago, eljay said:

Perhaps Kumeu could help at Ruakaka.     They used to "Dual" with Avondale at their venue.      Yes, another grass meeting lost.      Night cold dark wet windy Thursdays or Fridays are not where you attract new fans.     Until the clubs and HNZ and RITA/The Minister  realise this then we will continue on the present downward slide at an ever increasing speed.

And eljay.....with all the changes in racing over the years , has the traditional/historic calendar and programming been really thought about to try and get more folk interested in the horse and get more folk on course.

Betting has been held up by the surge in sports betting and more 'elite' VIP customers ...but the loss of the money launderers is now starting to show [maybe!]

The big salaries or suits are mainly interested in KPI's ,and it appears its OK to use smoke and mirrors to meet these.

Racing clubs are now more reliant on their business interests and the dining ,convention side is good ,apartments not so much to date!!.....there are still many fantastic volunteers keeping many clubs afloat ...check out Central Otago Trots Facebook and their working bee video !

The slide is rampant.....owning and training slow horses is a costly and time consuming 'labour of love' which less and less willing to endure.

Overall ,the industry does not collaborate....I see key contributors /shakers ignoring each other.

Sadly few clubs work together. FACT !

Horsemen/women help each other but others.......if the opposition is drowning ,stick a hose down their throat !

Hope the trials went OK today.

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3 hours ago, tim vince said:

Trouble withh ruakaka another big cost to owners travel.

 

Yes Tim - but no more than going to Palmy.    May be even cheaper for you to go North rather than Cambridge.     Being a grass track holiday venue it only once a year - I remember the driver/trainer who told you to lose his phone number used to go up there.    :rcf-laughing:

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3 hours ago, tim vince said:

Atc tried to shutdown and get kumeu for a song.glad they didn't.there is a case to make kumeu a hub of training given the future of puke is very much up in the air.

 

Good training track although perhaps some upgrading of barns needed for permanents.      Not much spare land around there now with the lefties targeting the area for new immigrants housing.     But the facility needs to be utilised before Jacinda, Winston. Megan & Phil decide to cover it with their little boxes.    

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11 hours ago, Confused said:

I got involved in Harness racing in North of NI about 6 years ago and the summer grass circuit has always been a highlight.. We would pick one or 2 meetings that we could make, organise family and friends and make a day of it.

Our trainer would always make an effort to have a bunch of horses racing and it was brilliant, great atmosphere, and  what appeared to be good crowds, there was even a dual code meeting at Ruakaka the first week of January with good numbers.

Obviously with the demise of the local trotting club this can't happen again, but the corresponding gallop meeting this  year has only 7 races and small fields.

Going to Alex Park  and Cambridge over and over has much of a sameness about it, the grass circuit was a refreshing change.

And as a viewer the constant Cambridge/Auckland back and forth is uninspiring, in contrast to southern racing and it's multitude of tracks 

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Grass track racing brings the horses closer to the crowd, an all weather track inside a grass track does not work that well. Look at the TAB turnover at the grass tracks in the south Island, they are huge, the fans love the action in front of them close up. Many clubs are being hard pressed to make a decent stake now which is killing this sport. Stakes are going down, costs are going up if you own the horse. Kumara races again has the X factor, the horses, the crowd and the fun, they can do it, why not harness . Because all the status Quo cannot think out of the square or cannot miss out on the free drinks and crayfish on offer. I made a suggestion many moons ago the we should start on mile racing with eight horse fields and twelve race programs, get the young  ones interested with quick action, Fast ten has taken that to a point and it worked and as a horse owner, you can race next week, 2600 gut busters at addington, takes two weeks to return. Look at Aussie, Look at the states, the horses turn up week after week after running miles and get a part of the stake, Times need to change and the sport needs thinkers, promoters and those with a vision, not just seat warmers

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4 hours ago, One more lap said:

Grass track racing brings the horses closer to the crowd, an all weather track inside a grass track does not work that well. Look at the TAB turnover at the grass tracks in the south Island, they are huge, the fans love the action in front of them close up. Many clubs are being hard pressed to make a decent stake now which is killing this sport. Stakes are going down, costs are going up if you own the horse. Kumara races again has the X factor, the horses, the crowd and the fun, they can do it, why not harness . Because all the status Quo cannot think out of the square or cannot miss out on the free drinks and crayfish on offer. I made a suggestion many moons ago the we should start on mile racing with eight horse fields and twelve race programs, get the young  ones interested with quick action, Fast ten has taken that to a point and it worked and as a horse owner, you can race next week, 2600 gut busters at addington, takes two weeks to return. Look at Aussie, Look at the states, the horses turn up week after week after running miles and get a part of the stake, Times need to change and the sport needs thinkers, promoters and those with a vision, not just seat warmers

Do you have the turnovers of individual meetings available ?.......would be interesting to see them !

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