Auckland Racing is a cot case!

[Brodie]

Seriously $15k stake for 4 horse maiden race tonight????????

This is an absolute disgrace when they can only field 4 horses!

The racing is boring,the fields are small and they are a drain on the harness industry coffers,  and they are racing on the same night as Addington?

The writing is on the board surely?

[Gammalite]

2 hours ago, Brodie said:

Seriously $15k stake for 4 horse maiden race tonight????????

This is an absolute disgrace when they can only field 4 horses!

The racing is boring,the fields are small and they are a drain on the harness industry coffers,  and they are racing on the same night as Addington?

The writing is on the board surely?

There was a Group 1 tonight Brodster and good race .Queen of Hearts  (and backed the winner lol 😋)🍾

the 4 horse field was because there was 4 scratchings in it . just a abnomily mate.

There were some small fields at Addington too ?? . a six, 2 seven horse and 2 eight horse fields...About 90 odd runners . and 2 x big fields of worn out trotters made up about a 1/3 rd of the race- card 😉

Auckland still had 74 runners and was some good racing.  don't lock the gate yet ??😎

You're just a bit biased being in the South 🤣 and must of been enjoying seeing Rachmaninov and Take after Me going around for the umteenth time (in the 100's lol)  getting nothing . 

I quite enjoyed the Auckland trots and gave Addington the flick . (on this occasion)  

[Brodie]

12 hours ago, Gammalite said:

There was a Group 1 tonight Brodster and good race .Queen of Hearts  (and backed the winner lol 😋)🍾

the 4 horse field was because there was 4 scratchings in it . just a abnomily mate.

There were some small fields at Addington too ?? . a six, 2 seven horse and 2 eight horse fields...About 90 odd runners . and 2 x big fields of worn out trotters made up about a 1/3 rd of the race- card 😉

Auckland still had 74 runners and was some good racing.  don't lock the gate yet ??😎

You're just a bit biased being in the South 🤣 and must of been enjoying seeing Rachmaninov and Take after Me going around for the umteenth time (in the 100's lol)  getting nothing . 

I quite enjoyed the Auckland trots and gave Addington the flick . (on this occasion)  

Each to their own Gamma, as they say!

Yes I am totally biased towards Canterbury racing compared tonAuckland and I an sure that the betting turnover will show that most people are nowadays!

Take After Me has done a great job for the connections over many years.

Auckland harness is just plain boring and aint getting any better.

The 2 year old race had 6 starters, 4 were Telfers, and one Herliihy and one Purdon!

There just arent the new participants coming thru at any level!

The punters are leaving, they got no new trainers and next to nonJuniors so no Junior races!

 

[Gammalite]

18 minutes ago, Brodie said:

Each to their own Gamma, as they say!

Yes I am totally biased towards Canterbury racing compared tonAuckland and I an sure that the betting turnover will show that most people are nowadays!

Take After Me has done a great job for the connections over many years.

Auckland harness is just plain boring and aint getting any better.

The 2 year old race had 6 starters, 4 were Telfers, and one Herliihy and one Purdon!

There just arent the new participants coming thru at any level!

The punters are leaving, they got no new trainers and next to nonJuniors so no Junior races!

 

Some good points Brodie . esp New participants are getting harder to find as the costs associated with running a harness horse are high as you mentioned in the past . The Galah has mentioned the lack of training facilities are a major issue going forward. (When Franklin is sold off at Pukekohe what happens with those trainers ? will be not good. ) and yes the lack of Junior driving racing will Not motivate youngsters to 'Have a Go ' and get that competitive edge/nature/ going. like the old boys do at the golf.

Can't agree with your boring racing though, at least thers' a bit of variety there at Auckland compared to all the mile racing here for low class horses week in , week out . 5 days a week . As a great fan of harness racing I even get bored with that and don't watch all of them. you don't know what boring is mate 😁😋 (no actually you do , as have said about constant mile racing previously)

And as a punter far more likely to bet on Nz harness still. especially feature racing with the better horses and drivers participating. If you're getting better odds at the gallops one is more likely to bet there though , as in 'trying to make a quid' , instead of a general little flutter for fun , like you might see at your summer grass track racing.    

[the galah]

Just imagine if auckland were running for the $30,000 minimum stakes like they should be,had they not had the massive loss on the housing project.

Reality is, It was the decision makers back then who ruined harness at alexandra park.

Instead of south island horses looking to come to auckland to earn some decent money,they are better off to stay at home or go to wingatui..Breeders,owners,trainers all have to factor in the $.

Auckland should have been the go to place given the set up they had pre housing development.

Current management have done well to get there where they are today and in a lot of ways they have bought themselves more time,but personally i think they should be using some of that time planning for a move somewhere else so that they can survive for a few more decades.They still would have a lot of money if they sold u wouldn't they?

its got to be somewhere  where  harness racing can become a hub and where current participants can see a realistic future where they can afford to set up and then make a living from..Somewhere where they may have a grass track on one side and an all weather on the other side of their main grandstand.Maybe thats all wishful thinking.Surely they should be at least looking.

Edited December 15, 2023 by the galah

[Taku Umanga]

Sell Alexandra Park, resurrect Avondale with an all-weather track inside the grass track, and race twice a week.  Build some barns for trainers and find some way to increase horse numbers ..... before it's too late!

 

[the galah]

1 hour ago, Taku Umanga said:

Sell Alexandra Park, resurrect Avondale with an all-weather track inside the grass track, and race twice a week.  Build some barns for trainers and find some way to increase horse numbers ..... before it's too late!

 

I like your thinking outside the square,thats what we need,but perhaps avondale wouldn't be ideal.

it was just a couple of months ago they cancelled any future races or trials there due to the track and they had said at one stage the facilities were run down as well.Sounded like avondale has no future as a racetrack.

Wasn't the thorougbred side wanting to sell avondale and get their hands on the cash and the avondale club was fighting that saying they would rather give it away to the community.The avondale club even at one point said next to no one goes to their meetings anyway.Also avondale had been selling off parts of the land just to keep going.

And i remember reading the NZTR(thoroughbred) had said  its only realistic future was to be sold as real estate as it was quite valuable.

I think the key would be setting up somewhere where the price of land wasn't so expensive. Although given the way things are these days,that may be be hard to find,but perhaps you can think of somewhere where the population is smaller.

[With A Dream]

8 hours ago, Taku Umanga said:

with an all-weather track inside the grass track, and

I hate having all weather tracks inside grass tracks,  The horses are too far away from the public.             
 

 

9 hours ago, the galah said:

where they may have a grass track on one side and an all weather on the other side

I think there’s a lot of merit in that idea.  Especially if they developed it in conjunction with Avondale as I think any green field development would quickly soak up the revenue from selling Alexandra Park if they had to develop it all themselves. 

[the galah]

1 hour ago, With A Dream said:

I hate having all weather tracks inside grass tracks,  The horses are too far away from the public.             
 

 

I think there’s a lot of merit in that idea.  Especially if they developed it in conjunction with Avondale as I think any green field development would quickly soak up the revenue from selling Alexandra Park if they had to develop it all themselves. 

I agree with your comments about all weather tracks inside the galloping track beng too far away from the public.Theres a much better atmosphere and easier viewing when the horses and drivers are closer.

I think the idea of having an all weather track and a grass track on either side of a grandstand would have to be a a new development.

Just simply shape the grandstand like a v where you can walk through the ground level and come out at the bottom of either side. They could have the stabling in the middle as well so access tyo each track wasn't far,with parts where the public can just look over a small rail fence and see the horses being geared up and washed down and the public can observe the coming and goings of the drivers and trainers.

If they are to attract people to the races,there best selling point is the horses and the trainers being accessable and easily observed by the public.

Just look at greyhound racing in christchurch.No one goes because the dogs are too far away. And when i say no one,i mean no one. I went one day last year to fill in time. I only stayed one race because i couldn't see them properly,but i was there long enough to realise there was not another person watching. The photographer came out with his zimmer frame every race and took a picture and that was it.2 people in the bar,but neither interested in the dog racing. 

Edited December 16, 2023 by the galah

[Nowornever]

20 hours ago, Taku Umanga said:

Sell Alexandra Park, resurrect Avondale with an all-weather track inside the grass track, and race twice a week.  Build some barns for trainers and find some way to increase horse numbers ..... before it's too late!

 

It might be too late for North Island harness but only chance is set up a grass track just outside Auckland. I might have a bet on a big grass track field but I am with Brodie on the small fields. Hard to get excited about them and not that enjoyable for punting.  

[With A Dream]

12 hours ago, the galah said:

think the idea of having an all weather track and a grass track on either side of a grandstand would have to be a a new development

I think you are right about that.  If Avondale sold their land & Alex Park sold theirs they could jointly develop a racecourse.  It halves the cost for each club & also saves on operating overheads such as rates, insurance, some staffing costs etc.  Also it means the facilities get more use.  The question is where to locate it.  Ideally on the city limits where land is a bit cheaper but not too far away so people will still want to go there.