Brodie

I agree that the Harness Bookies are keeping the fixed odds far too safe for far too long. The So called Bookies open up many of the fields with 5 horses paying under $2 for Top 3. Just not worth the effort for risk and return now!

Methven off for the day!! Snowing apparently and who wants to be in the cold watching 1700metre races?

Agreed, serious punters I would doubt would be offloading on a grass track over 1700metres, If you’re out the back you have no show! Be in front and you are in the money! Harness should be looking to retain its existing punters and attracting new ones, but this isnt going to occur, while the programmers keep up with this short distance racing!

Stupidity, this programming of short distance racing!! Stands over 1700m on grass is lunacy!!

Great to see that Kaikoura this year has 8 races programmed for the Sunday afternoon. Personally didnt see the sense in only having the 6 races on the Sunday that they have run over the last few years, so 8 races is a far better result! The races are being run at 20 minute intervals so very quick fire, which I suppose is good for participation viewing but is there enough time for punters to reinvest, if they are allowed to wager? Not sure why they start the meeting at 3.35pm when they surely can start it an hour or more earlier? Must be a reason, but could someone please advise me of the logic??

Totally agree Galah! Was going to post re the Drone, but restrained myself! yes it is a wee bit of a novelty for a change, but does not do a lot for viewing or to increase public interest. Some very even fields yesterday, but the racing is not what it should be, and the 1700 metre races should all be run over 2400metres!!!!! not sure what the betting turnover was on the day, being a public holiday would certainly help.

just shows how much s harness horse can be improved by other trainers! Imagine how good Red Harbour wouldve been in another stable, bearing in mind Red Harbour has win a lot of races. Surely Red Harbour would have been one of our very best, going by the improvement in this one in very quick time. There will be s lot of horses that need to be in professional stables to show their true ability, but then I suppose that takes away the enjoyment of training your own horse?

Apart from the shocking state of the finances of the ATC, they also need sufficient owners, trainers, drivers, horses and punters for harness racing to be viable! Any shortage of any of these will lead to a very poor result! Looking at things currently, there appears to be a dwindling of all 5 unfortunately! Hopefully things can be turned around!

When the ATC actually owned the land already and they still lost mega millions just highlights what an absolute bunch of plonkers that were involved, when house prices throughout New Zealand have blossomed!! Auckland owners were told how much stakes were going to be and ultimately just tragic. The industry can not afford to continue to dish out the money they currently are for such a poor product generally!

It is an absolute nightmare for harness racing in NZ if racing in Auckland is unable to continue! To be fair though, they must surely be a massive drain on the coffers of harness in NZ? The product that they dish up most weeks is losing money and it just can not continue to do this! Biggest population by far in NZ and yet they have bugger all owners and trainers, and probably decreasing by the year! The rot must’ve started when they started the apartment development and obviously they have been very poorly advised and will be their demise, unfortunately! Can not see how any bail out plan is going to be their saviour if the figures quoted are true.

Highly unlikely! Meeting should be underway to have last nights chaos to never happen again. Does anyone know what the actual reason for the issue was?

“Now you‘re in the game” apparently! what an absolute eff up on such a big night! Has it been out all day?

Interesting! You must be another of those nasty restricted ones? Ludicrous that a betting agency doesnt want people offloading!

Fixed Odds? Tote betting is so yesterday, Nowornever.

McAnulty will probably and hopefully gone after tomorrow and Winnie be back as Minister of Racing! Thank Christ the Muppets of the last 6 years of disaster are gone and hopefully never to be seen again!

How come you can’t get on? I can’t either, cos I am over the ditch at the mo and don’t want us on! Cant even see the odds ffs!

Michael, “The Brodster” doesn’t recall him ever saying that you weren’t bright? You have opinions which is what everyone is allowed in NEW ZEALAND, and great that you express them as far too many don’t! Your opinion may be wrong but Chief does let you express them! You are right in that you would have to question amounts paid out to the Auckland Club, but clearly they are just trying to hold the Club together. We need to have harness racing in the North Island including Auckland, but you are correct that they must surely be a drain on the coffers!! Turnovers are pretty pathetic nowadays in Auckland but that is just due to the cost of living due to a totally incompetent bunch over the past 6 years and the boring racing in Auckland. Not sure how we can get Auckland out of the doldrums though?

Exactly my point! Bookies not prepared to let Punters on for worthwhile amounts due to previous performance! I was under the impression that it is a gambling business and they should be taking the bad with the good? If they maintain their current stance, racing is in dire problems!

Gamma, Sarah O’Reilly is a very good driver, Junior or not. However, I maintain Carter Dalgety is every bit as good and in my humble opinion better. You only have to look at the UDR’s where Carter wins at close to every fourth drive, which is amazing for a Junior. Great to have these driving champs, bjt as we both know it is not always the best driver that wins it at all. It just depends on the horses that you draw, and many champs have been won by not the best driver, but the class of the horses driven.

You only have to look at most of the tote pools now, they are much reduced to what they used to be and that doesnt take into account of inflation. Yes punters are betting into the fixed odds, but the amounts being allowed on by the So called Bookies arent that big, as most of the bets announced on Trackside are not significant wagers at all. Questionable how harness is going to be able to grow, when punters are not allowed on for reasonable amounts, as the Bookies have got no appetite at all to take on the Punter! Havent bothered having an investment on Harness Racing for many weeks now as not worth my time with the TAB policies. I can afford not to have to offload on racing, however I do know that the TAB can not afford to continue to lose punters. Without attracting new punters then the racing is going to go backwards unfortunately!

If they have 98% being losing punters then they should be prepared to let a minimal 2% be winners, surely. David Seymour when he is in power is going to have someone looking at all the BS policies and red tape crap and hopefully loosen up on the AML BS limit of $1k.

So it is not about betting turnover at all? They need to be upfront with everyone and tell them they only want losing punters watching and betting on harness, otherwise if you are good at punting, dont bother!

License holders are reliant on turnover from the wagering public! So prey tell me why we are on betting restrictions???

If you havent been watching them on HRNZ webb site over recent times, they are a must to view. Greg O’Connor over the last few weeks has been posting a series of interviews with harness trainers and drivers. All of them are well worth viewing, the most recent ks with all of the O’Reilly boys and is very enlightening. There is one with young Carter Dalgety and others, so essential viewing and great to see some worthwhile interviews, as enthusiasts are interested in the history and background of the participants. Good marketing for harness.

Top 4? It is only available on account so is a waste of time for most! For the Punters who do bet on Top 4, how much does the TAB allow them to win? To be able to win the cost of a bottle of wine, in my case is just pathetic!