Riverton on Saturday broke their turnover record, 2.13 million 1.5 million on Monday, probably the biggest day for Southland, the New Years day meetings is popular too, if they get the right weather that's a big plus too, strangely the Messara report had initially earmarked Riverton and Gore for closure, and everything move to Ascot Park with its 200m home straight, , I guess it's easy to make ideas that don't have any impact on yourself, strangely about 25 years ago a major study into Southland racing recommended most if not all gallops race at Winton,, slightly drier climate yet strangely Winton was the one they called time, on seems weird as they still run jumpouts and 18 harness meetings each season, it's not like the tracks are closing.
Easy to condemn or criticize our tracks as opposed to aussie, but they do have a generally warmer climate, that makes a difference, simple reality is you can't beat the shit out of them all the time, closing tracks and hammering those left has proven some of Messaras ideas ain't worth a pinch of shit.