How Will Riccarton Stand Up

[scooby3051 10,929]

To three days racing in a week...looking at the outside on the synthetic days the track looks in bad shape...it will be a shambles by day three...if they even get that far.Anyone with first hand local knowledge on how the track is would be appreciated.

[uneasy 497]

The first and third days are scheduled to be run, all races, on the main course proper

The second days flat races are on the poytrack, jumps races during the week, if run, will be on the grass.

If races were today it would be on a very heavy, sodden course proper, we had a heap of rain again last night. It's sunny but cold here now, no drying ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

A bit of rain predicted Tuesday, temperatures predicted 14 to 16 all week so should improve. Then the rain comes again and again.

Will not be racing for the faint of heart, will be very wet on the main track and as you have noticed it will cut out very quickly

 

[We're Doomed 4,866]

I was thinking similar myself. It hasn't really been used much lately though with all the racing on the AWT. And the weather for the week ahead doesn't sound that bad for ChCh, although historically a few fine days have never really seemed to bring Riccarton back to the same rate Sydney dried up yesterday.

Riccarton does seem to just plough ahead though regardless of the state of the track, a bit like Trentham, so it would have to be pretty bad to cause a transfer. I certainly couldn't see races transferred to the AWT as trainers would be setting their charges for a heavy 10 bog.

[We're Doomed 4,866]

Only tenuously related to this subject, but I happened to watch a couple of races from Riccarton on Friday, That First Rock was very impressive, a great turn of speed. It occured to me though that its next opportunity probably isn't until Sept if it wants to have a go at a decent stake. It obviously needs an AWT or a decent grass track, the only AWT opportunities will be in $14,000 races. so it really has to wait for a firm grass track. That does seem to be a problem with the AWT programming. That type of racing only seems to be designed for "second tier" horses and if a horse suddenly strikes form and looks better than that grade it really has nothing to aspire to.

[Roger Sugrue 190]

"nothing to aspire to".............very interesting We're Doomed cos I've been giving that subject some thought in the last couple of days

and now that Leggy has , quite correctly, told us numerous times that Synthetics are no place for mudders and that I've modified my views that Synthetics were for D and E Grade summer horses but I now include some C graders in that too

then there needs to be some sort of a Grand Final series.....something which showcases the Synthetics because next season there will be 3 tracks in action probably for about 18 weeks

and I'm thinking that during the Summer the astute trainers who have horses who are struggling a bit will be reserved to the Synthetics to effectively give that horse a 2nd chance ( which is a hell of a lot better than giving it a 10 week spell and trying it again next season ....or even retiring it)

the good thing about that is that it more horses come back into training for the winter.......stables have more horses providing  more employment for stablehands / track riders etc.

so as some sort of Grand Final and to get much more value than the MAAT concept I propose some sort of a concept like the .....

Breeders Cup weekend - say the 3rd weekend in August - stand alone run over the Saturday and Sunday

4 categories for horses on 1 May within the 45 - 54, 55 - 60, 61 - 65, 66 - 70 at distances of 1200, 1500, 2000 or whatever the relevant distance at the relevant track

all races @ $60,000 or maybe 50, 000 and generous travel payments for the horses travelling from the other 2 venues

and that the Venue rotates between each of the 3 venues on alternate years

Invent another two races and you have 14 races, 7 on the Saturday and 7 on the Sunday

some sort of a points system....Qualifying Series....you know how it works

then it's over to the Host Club to turn it into a Big Day......Cambridge could have Studs invite Clients to corporate hospitality, NZTBA have a tent ( just a few weeks before the Breeding Season), Awapuni and Riccarton have hospitality boxes / facilities anyway

anyway I'll leave the finer details to the Tim / Butch subcommittee - they'll be able to tidy up the loose ends and turn  it into a Showcase Weekend at a time of the year when it's a bit bleak and miserable. 

[Pam Robson 1,551]

Great idea.

[scooby3051 10,929]

It makes to much sense turning a perceived  negative into a positive the powers that be would not have the foresight for that...but its a great idea.

[Leggy 4,089]

Looks like 5 days out from the first day, they are now deciding whether they will even run some of the jumping races.

 

GRAND NATIONAL FESTIVAL JUMPING RACES
PRELIMINARY ENTRIES CLOSE 12 NOON TUESDAY 2 AUGUST 2022
The Canterbury Jockey Club and NZTR, in response to communication from trainer’s, are endeavouring to ascertain potential numbers of runners in the jumping races over the Festival.
Nominations for the three jumping races on the first day close at 12 noon Tuesday 2 August.
Please also advise by this deadline by way of a preliminary nomination any horses you are wishing to race in the Jumping races on the second and third days. The published deadlines will still apply and there will be no charge if horses are withdrawn prior to these deadlines.
This information will be used to determine what races can be run and to give some surety to trainers prior to making travel arrangements.
Kind regards

[Pam Robson 1,551]

My understanding is that a prestige [ black type ] race MUST be held, as long as there are some entries.   Two was the figure mentioned to me, not sure if that is correct or not.

So, at least the Nationals have to go ahead....unless there are no noms at all.!

[Aaron Bidlake 760]

Only need 1 nomination for prestige and feature jumping races, but surely we arnt going quite that bad are we

I see the Koral and Sydenham are not prestige races, but would be classed as feature ? 

[Pam Robson 1,551]

Not sure but one would think so.

[scooby3051 10,929]

55 minutes ago, Aaron Bidlake said:

Only need 1 nomination for prestige and feature jumping races, but surely we arnt going quite that bad are we

I see the Koral and Sydenham are not prestige races, but would be classed as feature ? 

be lucky to run them all I would think...jumps racing seems to be struggling to get fields...and thats in the North...not seen many if any jumps races for a while in the south.

[Aaron Bidlake 760]

37 minutes ago, scooby3051 said:

be lucky to run them all I would think...jumps racing seems to be struggling to get fields...and thats in the North...not seen many if any jumps races for a while in the south.

South Island is finished excluding national week.  

[We're Doomed 4,866]

2 hours ago, Aaron Bidlake said:

South Island is finished excluding national week.  

Everyone accepts jumping is finished in the SI. Just seems really strange to be persevering with the Nationals. Seems to run totally against everything else NZTR does. Marlborough got closed down because they didn't have any local horses, despite the fact they managed to fill all their fields. And yet Riccarton continues to run races with high stakes that rely totally on imported horses. 

[We're Doomed 4,866]

I see in the Herald Mills says they will be run with 5 or 6 starters. So sounds like 5 is the minimum.

[Roger Sugrue 190]

5600 metres is way too far for todays jumpers

Wellington Steeple the field apart from the winner were gassed with 1000m to go

Hawkes Bay the same .....the front 2 pulled away from the others over a lesser journey

with respect Tim , the only chance you've got is to drop the distance by a thousand metres.....especially on the testing tracks that this more extreme weather is delivering

[Zak Hussai 423]

Jumps races not looking good after nominations were released. Would be buggered without Kevin Myers.

[mckenzie 608]

The going didn't look too heavy back in the day

 

[Pete Lane 639]

7 noms for Hurdles 4 for Steeples.

8 out of 11 trained by Dummy.

[Cubes 1,770]

1 hour ago, mckenzie said:

The going didn't look too heavy back in the day

 

 

[Cubes 1,770]

Cubes like's the music 

[Shad 1,558]

1 hour ago, mckenzie said:

The going didn't look too heavy back in the day

 

Great bit of footage from many moons ago, jumps look significantly higher back then to what they are these days, or is that just me, cuts and jumbo only looa shadow of what they used to be, I think I can recall mini  car on cutts many years ago,

[Cubes 1,770]

1 minute ago, Cubes said:

 

Cubes is running the Calcutta this year and he can't even count so should be fun

[Leggy 4,089]

2 minutes ago, Cubes said:

Cubes is running the Calcutta this year and he can't even count so should be fun

Where's that Cubes?

I thought your first post above was one of your more profound ones.

[scooby3051 10,929]

Jumping races a K Myers Benefit LOL...and that only day one...where are the rest gonna come from for the rest of the meeting...this once good carnival looks to be on its last legs unfortunately.