RaceCafe..#1...Tipsters Thread.... Share Your Fancies For Fun...Lets See Who The Best Tipsters Here Are.
chevy86

Ruakaka Today

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Ridiculous doesn't even begin to describe it. Good weather, good racing surface, pretty good traffic conditions with so many in hiding, recent abandonments creating a logjam of ready horses--only negative a fairly long haul to the track. (Welcome to South Island dilemma or lower North Island to Trentham).

And so we have carnage on the scratching front.

M F&M---16 acceptors, 8 scratchings

M 1400---19 acceptors, 8 scratchings

R65 2100--18 acceptors, 9 scratchings

And the doosey, M 1600-- 17 acceptors, 11 scratchings.

And the question is, who makes these decisions? Trainer only? Does the owner have a say? Why bother nominating if obviously no intention to run and once again the owner has to cop it financially. With so many positives about the venue, I for one as an owner would cop the travel cost in light of the uncertainties elsewhere.

Such a display of disinterest by participants gives an obvious "Out" to the incompetent bureaucrats supposedly running the show. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

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21 minutes ago, Nerula said:

Travelling costs and wide draws are a big disincentive. Seen the price of diesel lately? 

So why nominate, accept and scratch? Just bill the owner, no problem. And besides, the worst affected race was the last, over 1600, where draws are of little consequence.

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8 minutes ago, Aaron Bidlake said:

Those races were added on from the abandoned Tauranaga meeting, scratchings reinstalled and no scratching fee if decide not to go to Ruakaka. 

All 4 races? Don't think so.

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Most of the scratchings are the widest drawn horses......over the shorter distances this is a regular occurence.

However the mass of scratchings in the stayers maiden appears a mystery as the draw IMO not so crucial at 2100m.

Also the last race , at 1600m ....a mystery.

Maybe the strength of field seemed a little 'high' and the travel cost and time , late in the day , the draw ,availabilty of suitable jockey , all added up to a drop in enthusiasm and decision to wait for another day !

These days ,I find most trainers[ in my experience] seem to require at least 3 to 4 weeks between races and some placed form and rating often a key to getting starts in maidens and r65. Racing when things not quite right can be unhelpful. IMO.

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30 minutes ago, gubellini said:

Float fees from Waikato to Ruakaka are $800 plus per horse. If you don’t run first or second you are out of pocket. Not much of an incentive to trek north.

Pull the other one Gubes. Hastings to Wellington around $500 (over 300 kms) and Hamilton to Ruakaka around 250km. Anyway a bit of co-operative behaviour between trainers could help the owners.( happen to know a few trainers making far more from float fees than percentages and training fees)

BTW Only 7-8 local horses lining up so maybe best to scrap the whole set-up as a racing venue.

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1 hour ago, chevy86 said:

Pull the other one Gubes. Hastings to Wellington around $500 (over 300 kms) and Hamilton to Ruakaka around 250km. Anyway a bit of co-operative behaviour between trainers could help the owners.( happen to know a few trainers making far more from float fees than percentages and training fees)

BTW Only 7-8 local horses lining up so maybe best to scrap the whole set-up as a racing venue.

Why ? The meetings will never be postponed at Ruakaka, the sandy based track will see to that……

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The last 3 races were moved en masse from Tauranga. The connections had no choice in the matter. Two of those races are badly hit with scratchings. You can hardly blame someone who was all set for Tauranga and suddenly finds themselves at Ruakaka  3 days later. Lots of horses don't like Ruakaka and its a long way to travel when there are small fields at Te Rapa this weekend. 

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