Doomed

Probably not. Not big drinkers on the Coast.

The whole AWT fiasco was all about centralisation and the desire to close down several tracks. It had nothing to do with providing a winter racing venue. It has proven to be an expensive and frustrating exercise at the provincial Yaldhurst track.

Timaru seems to be booming as a training centre, despite being the area that has lost the most meetings over the years with the demise of Geraldine and Waimate, and the downgrading of Oamaru and Timaru. Southland seems to be going well with some enthusiastic trainers coming through. Otago seems to be the region struggling the most, although largely Wingatui, as there are successful trainers at Waikouaiti and Omakau. Obviously Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast hardly exist as training centres anymore.

I agree. That surprises me as well. I guess many of them just don't have any sort of overview. They appear to be quite content, so who are we to bother.

You do have to realise there are heaps of 3yos about in the north. You only have to look at this Sunday. Fields of 8,8 and 9 accepted in the three 3yo races. Probably 7 or so will go around in each, so more than enough to justify another $100,000 of industry money. Only four 3yo races scheduled for slot day, plus a WFA 2,000m for those who fancy a 2,000m race, and an open 1,200m for the sprinting 3yos. So only six opportunities for 3yos on the day. Should easily get 7 or 8 for each race. Probably a chance for some maidens to race for decent money as well.

You don't really get the point Chief. In the SI the races aren't programmed in the first place. It is not a matter of boosting nominations.

That is the whole point. The four trainers at Ellerslie knew the race would go off regardless of how many starters there were. They knew none of them had to enter an extra horse to get it off the ground. In Southland the Tylers would put in a couple of extras if a race was suspect. I have seen Rogerson with 7 acceptors in an 8 horse field to make sure the race happens.

No one is arguing it isn't a cock up. I have never believed, nor suggested, it is a conspiracy. You have to be reasonably bright to pull off a conspiracy

Two of the three southern 2yo starters at Ellerslie and Trentham so far this season have come from Southland. Southland has ONE 2yo race all season, in April. Do you think someone is missing something there?

Only 6 in the first at Tauranga today. It would be virtually impossible to get a maiden race with six starters in the south.

I imagine the 3 trialled to see if they were good enough to race on the middle day of Cup Week. They only need 4 to accept to have a race.

The 3rd started at Ellerslie last week.

It is more the evenness and form in the Nuggets that makes it a good race. Also interestingly, as it stands, the minimum rating to get a start in the Nuggets is 73. Compare that to the Wgtn Cup next week where there will be no ballots and a maiden could have started if they wanted to.

No jumpers at those trials either. Strange that. At least we know that if they only get four 2yo acceptors for the 25th the race will go ahead.

And the 2yo race on 25 Jan is the first for 10.5 weeks. Try doing that in the NI. Meanwhile 3 southern 2yos have had to travel to Trentham and Ellerslie to get a start somewhere.

Gee Chief. For there to be a 10 week gap there needs to be a start and an end to it. 25 Jan is the end of the 10 weeks. NZ Cup day was the start of the gap.

I cannot remember a single instance of a four horse field going around in the SI for $65,000. 4 and 5 horse fields quite regularly go around in the NI for big stakes. The big difference is that they will not programme any race in the SI that has a significant chance of attracting a small field. Hence no 2yo racing. Very little 3yo racing, and no male 3yo race further than 1,600m. No such worry in the NI. The race in question was always going to be suspect with a 1,600m race for the same class at Tauranga today. Can feature stakes and multiple open class races be justified at Tauranga and Auckland two days apart? Are the small fields at both venues any surprise? By contrast, there is no feature meeting in Canterbury for 10 weeks, apart from a low grade AWT meeting with no open or age group races, but bizarrely some enhanced stakes..

One of the best in NZ this weekend. Only about 4 of the runners in the open stayers race at Tauranga would get a start in the Nuggets if they headed south.

What a great field for the Nuggets. Every runner would have to be rated some sort of chance.

The big thing is precedent. Makes it very hard to scrap a race with four entrants anywhere else now. I also think it makes it hard to justify refusing to split a race in the south when you get 22 noms at a track that starts 14. The usual approach is to tell the 8 unlucky ones to piss off and wait another couple of weeks. Not a single horse balloted or eliminated at Ellerslie or Trentham. It will be interesting to see what happens at the next few southern meetings when they get over 20 odd noms for a race.

A bit tough on Kevin Myers.

Bigger crowd too.

It always used to be New Year eve. They just had a go in May for a year or two.

Just in case anyone thought NZTR had a monopoly on being a bit dopey. The Auck trots meeting they refer to last year was a shitty little 8 race card with poor fields and ordinary stakes. This time it was Auckland Cup night with 10 races and heaps more stakes. So of course the bloody turnovers were up.

I think I may have said this before, but just too stupid for words really. I hope they didn't spend too much time and money on it.