Cooper 115 Report post Posted January 9, 2021 Would just like to pass on a big Congratulations to the Kumara Racing Club for putting on a wonderful days racing and fun yesterday. I was watching on my TV at home and wished I was there. Great fields, amazing crowd, plenty of entertainment for the kids, great weather, everyone looked so happy and enjoying country racing at its best. Of course the icing on the cake was everyone’s favourite Overtheriver winning the Nuggets. The whole West Coast circuit can give themselves a pat on the backs for their great racing. I only hope the hierarchy can see how much we need days like these. Pam Robson, Baz (NZ), Tauhei Notts and 9 others 7 5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastwood Jaunty 148 Report post Posted January 9, 2021 Agreed entirely. Well done all and thanks to all the trainers who supported the circuit. THE TORCH, nomates and Baz (NZ) 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trump 2,741 Report post Posted January 10, 2021 Saw a couple of races on TV. Fantastic local crowd, so full marks to the Club and it’s Organisation for putting on what must have been one of the years social highlights in that area. whether it’s Cairns, Birdsville, Hanging Rock, or Kumara, these local Derbies are a huge Social and Economic benefit to their local communities. Well done Kumara! Baz (NZ), Red Rum, dock leaf and 1 other 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zak Hussai 416 Report post Posted January 10, 2021 I don't understand why we don't use these race tracks more than once a year? Baz (NZ) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
uneasy 497 Report post Posted January 10, 2021 I agree totally, in recent days, it seems a long time ago that the South Island summer racing began on Boxing Day. I have had horses in and driven our float to every day since, with Omoto the only exception Timaru Kurow Reefton Kumara all have their place and racing should remain at these venues IMO Eastwood Jaunty, ADM, Leggy and 2 others 3 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rum 1,833 Report post Posted January 10, 2021 9 hours ago, Cooper said: Would just like to pass on a big Congratulations to the Kumara Racing Club for putting on a wonderful days racing and fun yesterday. I was watching on my TV at home and wished I was there. Great fields, amazing crowd, plenty of entertainment for the kids, great weather, everyone looked so happy and enjoying country racing at its best. Of course the icing on the cake was everyone’s favourite Overtheriver winning the Nuggets. The whole West Coast circuit can give themselves a pat on the backs for their great racing. I only hope the hierarchy can see how much we need days like these. Overtheriver got the great reception that he deserved , the crowd appreciated his efforts , commentary too IMHO brilliant . 4 wins on course and they abandoned/moved meeting two years in between first and win yesterday that's impressive , 2012 Festival Sale passed in at 20k, 22k reserve , a bargain in hindsight . The dam has produced a few other multiple winners including Krase a decent Myers runner . Full brother Under the Bridge going reasonably well in OZ . Sire has Torre Del Greco too so champion Sire on Coast this year., he sadly died a few years back .I see family being sent to Unusual Suspect now . THE TORCH 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rum 1,833 Report post Posted January 10, 2021 8 hours ago, Zak Hussai said: I don't understand why we don't use these race tracks more than once a year? They tried a Monday I think it was about 10 years back at Kumara but it didn't work , that's not the Monday they moved big meeting to in 2012 as that was a top day . It was an extra meeting . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rum 1,833 Report post Posted January 10, 2021 8 minutes ago, Red Rum said: They tried a Monday I think it was about 10 years back at Kumara but it didn't work , that's not the Monday they moved big meeting to in 2012 as that was a top day . It was an extra meeting . 8th March 2007 , Westland raced at Kumara that probably what I am thinking of . Westland used to race when wild foods were on . Id always have the races over eating huge tree maggots myself . Eastwood Jaunty 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stodge 1,912 Report post Posted January 10, 2021 I was in NZ in early 2006 I think it was February and we went with Mrs Stodge's parents to visit her brother at his farm near Greymouth. I went to Omoto but the course was closed and the meeting had been transferred to Hokitika. Drove down there, parked almost underneath the winning post and saw an eclectic mix of harness racing and gallops (as you call it). I have to say some of the gentlemen driving the harnesses were perhaps not in the first flush and were carrying a few pounds excess. Managed to pick up s couple of nice draws on the gallops races but harness racing isn't in my world. Economically, racing one day per year just wouldn't work for us up here - it's more like what we call a point-to-point which uses some kind landowner's property. However, if you have the land and it's popular with the locals, why not? It would be tragic if these "country" meetings were lost forever - they used to exist in the UK at places like Rothbury but the pressure to make economic use of limited land resources made single days of racing unviable. You are fortunate you have so much land available so a big part of the economic equation is resolved. If the local Club ("Hunt" as it would be up here) can get the land and provide the infrastructure for a race meeting to take place, I don't see why it can't happen. You'll not get a Group 1 race for sure but the local "Cup" race with all its history has a place in the heritage and tradition. Up here some of these survive at the local point-to-point meetings - others such as the Lanark Bell and the London Gold Cup have had to move venues. nomates 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad 1,539 Report post Posted January 10, 2021 6 hours ago, Red Rum said: They tried a Monday I think it was about 10 years back at Kumara but it didn't work , that's not the Monday they moved big meeting to in 2012 as that was a top day . It was an extra meeting . Kumara club did race on a Monday, one year after the Saturday was cancelled, was also a disaster, not sure what year it was, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rum 1,833 Report post Posted January 10, 2021 3 hours ago, Shad said: Kumara club did race on a Monday, one year after the Saturday was cancelled, was also a disaster, not sure what year it was, Was at the Monday meeting in 2012 after the abandonment , it was quite different to normal but not too bad a day , more sedate but I think it cost the club a bit , Uneasy won the Nuggets with Sun Valley I think it was , a decent field that year . That tough bugger of Myers was in it Titch . It was the Westland meet there that was a total failure in March 2007 . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...