We're Doomed 4,855 Report post Posted March 20, 2021 I just happened to be looking at the nzracing website to check out the Counties meeting on Wednesday and I noticed the home straight at Pukekohe is 520m. I never realised it was that long; has it been extended at any stage? That must surely make it the longest home straight in NZ. I haven't been there for about 30 years, but I never recalled it being that long. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerula 1,402 Report post Posted March 20, 2021 No it is original. Te Aroha may match it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trump 2,741 Report post Posted March 20, 2021 I had a horse racing at Counties one day and the Trainer was giving the jockey instructions. He told him not to make his run until he reached about 250m out. The Jockey must have thought he was racing at Cranbourne or The Valley! He hit the lead at the top of the Counties straight and was beaten a nose trying to lead all the way up that long straight. I cannot repeat on here what the Trainer said to the Jockey after the race! Black Kirrama 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerula 1,402 Report post Posted March 20, 2021 Debs Mate had no problems leading there. In fact Debbie Stockwell would have the others off the bridle on the bend Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tauhei Notts 1,411 Report post Posted March 20, 2021 I think the longest straight run on any New Zealand racecourse is from the 1600 start at Matamata, where the horses run 785 metres in a straight line to the first turn. Gruff and Black Kirrama 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasman man 742 Report post Posted March 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Nerula said: Debs Mate had no problems leading there. In fact Debbie Stockwell would have the others off the bridle on the bend Are you sure Nerula ? From memory Deb's Mate won about half his wins at Avondale and Ellerslie and some at Te Rapa and two in Victoria. Someone will straighten us out on that. But certainly known as a 'Pukekohe' galloper ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasman man 742 Report post Posted March 20, 2021 12 hours ago, We're Doomed said: I just happened to be looking at the nzracing website to check out the Counties meeting on Wednesday and I noticed the home straight at Pukekohe is 520m. I never realised it was that long; has it been extended at any stage? That must surely make it the longest home straight in NZ. I haven't been there for about 30 years, but I never recalled it being that long. You need to get out more WD. Pukekohe track is not good viewing.....best watched on TV screens. The horses run partly obscured by numerous white running rails , the angle of the course varies from the grandstand.....all influenced by car track and then there is the long straight. Difficult often to line up the finish line. The size of the place , the closeness to horse population and the stabling etc mean it should be one of the best places to race........bit IMO it ain't ! Auckland harness could end up out that way.....the training facilities very good . Gruff and We're Doomed 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
We're Doomed 4,855 Report post Posted March 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Tauhei Notts said: I think the longest straight run on any New Zealand racecourse is from the 1600 start at Matamata, where the horses run 785 metres in a straight line to the first turn. Interesting. When you mentioned that, I thought that surely the 1,600m start at Oamaru would have almost an 800m run down the back, but when I checked the NZ Racing website I see they still have the old track layout from when the 1,600m start used to be around a bend, a bit like HB and Timaru. From memory Oamaru was remodelled in the late 1980s/early 90s with a 1,600m chute added. I seem to recall being on track when the Fantasy won an Oamaru Cup from the old start point, but I could easily be wrong. So a 30yo out of date track layout for Oamaru, great info for punters. I wonder how many other tracks are out of date. Perhaps they are hoping to close down those tracks rather than having to update their info. I also note that when you go into the track layout section on the website it shows Counties as having a 447m home straight, which is quite different to the 520m shown with the fields for Wednesday. I would tend to believe the 447m myself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurnipOrange 148 Report post Posted March 20, 2021 Te Aroha is Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eljay 1,719 Report post Posted March 21, 2021 3 hours ago, tasman man said: Auckland harness could end up out that way.....the training facilities very good . That's a pipe dream T.M. ATC couldn't afford to buy any land whether it be at Pukekohe or Bluff. They have almost sold off all their assets but their debt is growing even faster. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phar Lap Fan 103 Report post Posted March 21, 2021 23 hours ago, We're Doomed said: Interesting. When you mentioned that, I thought that surely the 1,600m start at Oamaru would have almost an 800m run down the back, but when I checked the NZ Racing website I see they still have the old track layout from when the 1,600m start used to be around a bend, a bit like HB and Timaru. From memory Oamaru was remodelled in the late 1980s/early 90s with a 1,600m chute added. I seem to recall being on track when the Fantasy won an Oamaru Cup from the old start point, but I could easily be wrong. So a 30yo out of date track layout for Oamaru, great info for punters. I wonder how many other tracks are out of date. Perhaps they are hoping to close down those tracks rather than having to update their info. I also note that when you go into the track layout section on the website it shows Counties as having a 447m home straight, which is quite different to the 520m shown with the fields for Wednesday. I would tend to believe the 447m myself. Looked at courses a few years ago and found that the diagrams hadn't been up-dated or corrected for ages, if ever. Love Racing web-site has them in 2D and satellite photographs but many are quite different, so much so that the 2D diagrams could be ignored. Longest straights should be Te Aroha and Pukekohe, at 1,050 metres (sum of back and front), then Ashburton and Riccarton at 1,000 metres. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerula 1,402 Report post Posted March 21, 2021 On 3/21/2021 at 10:06 AM, tasman man said: You need to get out more WD. Pukekohe track is not good viewing.....best watched on TV screens. The horses run partly obscured by numerous white running rails , the angle of the course varies from the grandstand.....all influenced by car track and then there is the long straight. Difficult often to line up the finish line. The size of the place , the closeness to horse population and the stabling etc mean it should be one of the best places to race........bit IMO it ain't ! Auckland harness could end up out that way.....the training facilities very good . You obviously went to Pukekohe on an onion day down there and didnt like the smell. Ellerslie sight lines are worse with all those ridiculous trees in the centre. I would volunteer to go over with my chainsaw and trailer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasman man 742 Report post Posted March 21, 2021 43 minutes ago, Nerula said: You obviously went to Pukekohe on an onion day down there and didnt like the smell. Ellerslie sight lines are worse with all those ridiculous trees in the centre. I would volunteer to go over with my chainsaw and trailer Seriously Nerula......viewing at Pukekohe is a shocker....track and stand are on different angles and further from the action. Do they have a big screen ? At Ellerslie the members viewing OK , and they painted and mended the seats and sometimes clean the birdshit . The public stand is outstanding viewing IMO......a very good facility and you can go up high too ! And the big screen always there...sometimes two ! And obviously easier for the commentator too...assume he on a bad angle at Puke too ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
