mikeynz

He has to say what they want us to hear or he's gone.

You would have to question if 2 meetings on friday nights, 2 meetings on Sundays is in the best interest for turnover, off setting that though is would you engage people's interest if there was one Friday night, Saturday and a Saturday night and a Sunday instead, I doubt you could either, Rugbys on at night now too, maybe the 2 meetings engages people more, that's a hard one to know......probably not cheap sending a TV crew to some of these meetings, I doubt Sky or TVNZ would for some, it's another thing Entain have spent plenty on, the media, some have been moved on which suggest it's not paying.

With the stakes on offer still not attracting numbers anyone with a draft horse must be tempted to stick a sulky behind it and go racing, HRNZ might just welcome all the numbers they can get.

What you are seeing in harness racing is a small number of rich buyers buying all the top stuff for a few serious large numbers trainers hogging up everything leaving the scraps for the rest, eventually it becomes mostly uninteresting and uncompetitive, financially as it stands the ones at the top are most likely doing extremely well as a business module....if the stakes fall as could be the case will their bisuness module stand up ?..

3 noms for Sundays 60+ Ashburton Cup, 7 for the Cromwell main races, I personally believe the handicapping system is fucked, too many yo yo ing up and then back down.

They actually declare it, the racecourse a sellout if all the hospitality tents / tables are sold, for the size of the place (Auckland) they get fuck all, our old friend TAB didn't understand that like a lot of things, anyway I note senior citizens get a discount, I assume Mr Fish that includes you so 30 bucks ain't that bad to see some good racing. I often laugh when you see hairdressing shops offering discounts for seniors getting hair cuts, seems logical as most don't have much if any hair left lol.

Only 2 noms for rating 50+ race at Cromwell and scrubbed but one would think day 2 numbers will pick up, no guarantees though.

Be nice to know all the figures, many of the pools(exotics) are all mostly tote but fixed odds figures ain't about turnover, it's profit, if there is any. Reality is just don't think harness racing is a popular as it used to be. I should add the few racing in small fields, good stakes, are probably doing very well, for now.

2 days out and heavy rain forecast for Wairoa at Waipukurau, it's either one or the other when it comes to Hawkes Bay and rain. I'm picking 50 50 this meeting going. One would also seriously wonder how many from Wairoa would actually go, same question could be asked as how many go to Riccarton for the Marlborough Cup which should be back home, next week would be a ideal time to race in Blenhiem but one question do they have irrigation there, if not that's a whole different scenario.

Looking at noms for Motukarara and Gore, it just keep emphasizing the fact that owners/trainers enjoy grass track racing. Hawera and Taupo weren't too bad either earlier on.

Only half in the win pool for the main race at Methven, about the same for Amberley cup as opposed from Waikouiti Cup last week, stuff all the main race at Wairio, 5 runner fields don't generate turnover, not sure if 2 Sunday meetings does either, but we never get the turnover figures to make a more informed accesment, be nice if we could so then comments from the hierachy also have validation,

Are any of those slot holders not connected directly to harness racing, first year Hydroflow and Senz has slots, Senz were fly by nighters,.

So the slots must have been up for renewal and up till now no takers, or not enough will there be any more, if the best horses have already booked a spot seems a expensive punt that no one wants to take, possibly a reflection of the awkward times business face, don't seem smart business if you only get half your stake back if you run down the track, harness races are so dominated by a few that technically that's what's stuffing the concept unlike the gallopers which ain't so predictable, you can't write the script so worth a punt.

Manawatu have 7 noms for 2 races for non winners, be interesting to see how they manage that but non winners should have the most numbers but not the case, Southland no better sometimes too.

I note still 2 places for the trot, only 6 at the moment, wanting 8,, looking at the slot holders it's really now just an in-house event, first year the pacers saw Senz, Hydroflow got involved, clearly the interest has waned not helped by the Ellerslie one now where slot holders would get more exposure, maybe slots ain't the great savior some may have thought, maybe a passing phase.