ATC pushes for penalty-free racing on restart

[Barry Lichter 179]

https://www.lincolnfarms.co.nz/stories/atc-keen-to-start-again-in-june-with-penalty-free-racing-to-stimulate-field-sizes/

[john legend 744]

typical comments. from Mackinnon. alternate with Cambridge....logical good for horsemen and the industry. but mac doesn't want that no no no.stuff them lets get Ak going oh and Addington but bugger everyone else..  typical attitude which is destroying our industry. I could say what I really feel but it couldn't be printed... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[eljay 1,720]

 John - it has been mooted that travel between areas could be a no no and with Green. Herlihy, Purdon, Dickies, Wallis/Hacket, Telfer, Balle based in Auckland area it not surprising.   Also with big reduction in stakes these (influential) guys will want to reduce costs like travel I would imagine.

[Stables 577]

Yes it's about time the owners of the horses were brought into the equation. If I have my horse trained near Auckland, why should I have to pay extra costs in order to race at Cambridge for less money, it just makes no sense to open Cambridge. All we need at this stage is Auckland, Addington and Invercargill

[Mikie 326]

1 hour ago, Stables said:

Yes it's about time the owners of the horses were brought into the equation. If I have my horse trained near Auckland, why should I have to pay extra costs in order to race at Cambridge for less money, it just makes no sense to open Cambridge. All we need at this stage is Auckland, Addington and Invercargill

So if Auckland's "hole" in respect of the development proves terminal, and you' don't want to race at Cambridge where do you intend to race?

If Cambridge is closed and sold to prop up Auckland as per one email that's circulating then where do all the horses trained at Cambridge go to be trained?

I'm not offering an opinion either way as yet, just asking if you have any answers?

Mikie

 

[john legend 744]

We aren't sure on travel but an equally impressive list of berger, butcher.mitchell, donelley.chilcott etc could be made which makes a mockery of Auckland 1 state north Island.Auckland have trouble often trying to fill fields as it was.Dont wonder why the Jafa name sticks ~

[Mikie 326]

"John Legend"

This pandemic should give ATC the perfect opportunity to change to Saturday nights and fix the travel issues, and fix clashing with Addington which has halved the ATYC's TAB T/O

The argument that they have functions on Saturday doesn't wash, the "crowd" on a racenight doesn't affect their Function Rooms

Mikie

[john legend 744]

true Mikie, remember too horses trained around the north Island will want to race and Cambridge while a bit of a haul is better than Auckland with the extra distance, no horses allowed on course overnight, etc. but once again the atc think of no one but themselves..why not sell whats left of their land and utilise any "leftover funds' to build a major facility at Cambridge . would be magnificent as long as no Auckland board members were permitted on the new Board.

[hsvman 294]

With stakes sounding like dropping across the board what will Cambridge race for they  now as were already offering poor stakes , Auckland stakes will stop considerably but I’m guessing it’ll still going to be more than what Cambridge was before this virus . In saying that they should have a nice nest egg left after only paying 80% of there funding out to stakes 

[Mikie 326]

I’m assuming you are referring to current Board members? As I don’t know all of them I’m not really qualified to venture a view

Of past Board Members I’d certainly have wanted Brian Meale. Perhaps not the profile of a V’Landeys but a astute businessman who loved harness racing

To state the obvious the ATC has great facilities, has the location, has the Sports Bar and pokies but no training facilities and retaining Pukekohe looks doubtful whilst Cambridge has training facilities but not the facilities of the ATC

There is no easy answer, I certainly don’t have one that ticks all the boxes. ATC’s “we will race every Friday and that’s it” doesn’t seem to me to be the panacea that’s needed. As I’ve mentioned previously their TAB betting when racing alongside Addington is a disaster. The combined T/O’s of the 2 Clubs on a Friday night is less than what 1 of them used to achieve when racing alone, say, 6 seasons ago

Mikie

[Stables 577]

John Legend, I've never read such nonsense. Have you any idea of the numbers of horses trained in the North Island other than around Auckland and Cambridge. They are so low I think I could count them on my fingers. Auckland has to be the first cab off the rank and Cambridge will follow at some later stage next season

[john legend 744]

Stables, you say you "think" I wonder if this is possible in your condition. (jafaitis) I wonder if you have attended sunday trials at Hawera very often where ahealthy number of trainers turn up or seen scott Dicksons figures  lately (149 starters,16 wins) or perhaps Doug Gales (94 st 12 wins) or even Phil Flemings or Stephen Doody ? plus all the ,admittedly smaller trainers around Taranaki/manawatu areas .Your attitude is one that will make recovery almost impossible if racing only at Auckland say through to  end of year. It may help Auckland but at what cost to harness racing and of course Betting turnovers. I have been in harness racing all my life having attended Alexandra park in a push chair some 70 years ago ,(may now need a mobility scooter if my license to drive my V8 is taken from me ! lol) My betting syndicate will be not betting if Auckland takes over Friday nights A small protest but hopefully wiser heads than parochial ones will win the day.and stables if my constructive comments are regarded as nonsense you really (when allowed0 need to get out more

[Taku Umanga 194]

Is it even worth ATC opening under a level 2 or 3 lockdown?

Since they're likely to be public excluded events, bars, pokies and totes won't be open.

Surely offering bigger stakes to "trump" Cambridge will see even bigger losses that they face now.

Racing should recommence asap, but should be held at venues with historically strong off course turnover in my opinion.

 

[eljay 1,720]

If I read Jamie (or Barry) correctly, they are talking about the re-start not the ongoing programming of meetings.     There is no statement that Cambridge will be dispensed with, all they are saying is until the available racing stock gets back somewhere to past levels, then surely it makes sense to concentrate on the premier track, not dilute the pool over more than one venue.     It's like saying lets start at Forbury in the South - and remember we may have all forgotten after the period of drought we have experienced over the last 4 - 6 months, winter beckons (if fact the south got snow this week) so really why concentrate on a cold wet windy Cambridge Thursday or Friday night.   I'm sure the Trainers just love Cambridge in the winter in the stabling facilities they offer!     As for Saturday night racing - as much as it would  be great, I'm sure the Thoroughbred code, and Ellerslie in particular, will get the last word as has happened for the last 15 to 30 years!

[JJ Flash 2,135]

Wheres Tim Vince , he knows all about the Auckland scene?/

He has not posted in ages , i hope he is ok or has he had a falling out with someone on here

 

Greg

[Stables 577]

By the way Mr. Legend I don't live North of the Bombay hills, so I don't think I count as a Jaffa

[eljay 1,720]

I'm a Jaffa from the Naki         

[JJ Flash 2,135]

47 minutes ago, eljay said:

I'm a Jaffa from the Naki         

Which one are you Eljay

 

 

[tasman man 11 979]

Im a Jafa from the Mainland, quite recent too so I can spot some of the significant differences ,myths and perceptions. !

Spoke to Tim ,a few days ago ,couldn't get too close not so much cos of the Virus rules but because his shoes were covered in horse shit from trying to feed and care for his horses which he so dearly loves.

Unlike us , in our little bubbles behind our keyboards prophisising [is that a word ?] over the Harness scene ,Tim has real skin in the game....its his choice and he loves it , but he really is working at trying to get things up and running !

And he his own man !

[JJ Flash 2,135]

17 minutes ago, tasman man 11 said:

Im a Jafa from the Mainland, quite recent too so I can spot some of the significant differences ,myths and perceptions. !

Spoke to Tim ,a few days ago ,couldn't get too close not so much cos of the Virus rules but because his shoes were covered in horse shit from trying to feed and care for his horses which he so dearly loves.

Unlike us , in our little bubbles behind our keyboards prophisising [is that a word ?] over the Harness scene ,Tim has real skin in the game....its his choice and he loves it , but he really is working at trying to get things up and running !

And he his own man !

Cheers Gary ,

So he is only MIA for a short time because as you say " He has real skin in the game" and i really liked his posts . Always made a bit of sense.

 

Greg

[Mikie 326]

I seem to remember a horse trained by Mark Purdon called "Border Patrol", quite an apt name at the moment

There was real consternation during the horse's 3yo career as Mark placed him brilliantly both here and in Australia and he won a heap of penalty free races

People weren't happy

Now I haven't had time to give a lot of thought to Mr McKinnon's proposal but if you had a Rating 55 horse and it was beaten during June and July 8 times by different horses who all went on to win 3 or 4 more times each, how would you feel in the first week of August when all those 8 horses were rated back to 55 and you had to race them all over again?

Logically because only 1 of them could win each week, as they would all be in the Rating 55 race together, your horse wouldn't have a show for another 2 months would it?

Mikie

 

[tasman man 11 979]

One would hope that common sense would kick in........and the situation where a dominant horse could not just be gifted races in a too easy grade.

I think the intention will be to get fields up and running .....stakes will obviously be lower than recent times so that eliminates the worry that a win for a low stake will suddenly make your horse uncompetitive at a much higher [say 8 points] rating.

Once they get a list of horses nominated to race ,they should be able to sort them out as evenly as possible and make conditions......eg week2...for horses who have not won in previous month ...or even a preferential draw to make it a little harder for the winner.

They will think of something !!!

Hopefully they will THINK !

Let's see what happens...when it happens !

As well as getting some stakes to owners/trainers etc they will be hoping to ignite some betting !

[Mikie 326]

45 minutes ago, tasman man 11 said:

One would hope that common sense would kick in........and the situation where a dominant horse could not just be gifted races in a too easy grade.

I think the intention will be to get fields up and running .....stakes will obviously be lower than recent times so that eliminates the worry that a win for a low stake will suddenly make your horse uncompetitive at a much higher [say 8 points] rating.

Once they get a list of horses nominated to race ,they should be able to sort them out as evenly as possible and make conditions......eg week2...for horses who have not won in previous month ...or even a preferential draw to make it a little harder for the winner.

They will think of something !!!

Hopefully they will THINK !

Let's see what happens...when it happens !

As well as getting some stakes to owners/trainers etc they will be hoping to ignite some betting !l

[Mikie 326]

I think you’ve totally missed the point Tasman Man

The proposal and my comment refers to horses returning to their initial Rating on 1.8.20, not fields being made up between now and then

 

[tasman man 11 979]

2 hours ago, Mikie said:

I think you’ve totally missed the point Tasman Man

The proposal and my comment refers to horses returning to their initial Rating on 1.8.20, not fields being made up between now and then

 

I think I got the gist of what you saying ....and it would be a worst case scenario that you visualise.

I visualise it differently.

I heard comments elsewhere of the same results being repeated ,but I think that wouldn't happen .

Hence I suggest wait and see.

Most of the Group 1 horses and those aimed at Jewels etc are probably not the ones to be racing.

But I often miss the point......you possibly heard I had 3 years in the 5th form....WRONG ,it was 5 years in the 3rd form.