The Met vs The Park

[thrillsnspills]

Recent visit to the MET

Addington has a good deal for owners 20% off food and alcohol  that's good better than 1 free beer as it was before, Plus on a recent visit buy one pizza get second same size for free plus there was a good crowd.

Been awhile since of been to the Park, they use to say get a free book and pen woop dee doo, Can someone tell me what the park gives.

Maybe they have to change like the Met to entice new patronage 

Big stake money at the top wont help at all. The bottom is where it is needed.      

[paleface adios]

2 hours ago, thrillsnspills said:

Recent visit to the MET

Addington has a good deal for owners 20% off  alcohol   

one owner will not be aloud to drink

[Honestjohn]

I love Alexandra park. I've raced at both tracks.  I'm in chch but Alex by far for me. Bar facilities are better and happy hour as well.  Drivers and owners cafe I loved.  Haven't been back since covid.  Due back.  Chinese restaurant is also awesome. 

 

Hj

[Brodie]

7 minutes ago, Honestjohn said:

I love Alexandra park. I've raced at both tracks.  I'm in chch but Alex by far for me. Bar facilities are better and happy hour as well.  Drivers and owners cafe I loved.  Haven't been back since covid.  Due back.  Chinese restaurant is also awesome. 

 

Hj

 

8 minutes ago, Honestjohn said:

I love Alexandra park. I've raced at both tracks.  I'm in chch but Alex by far for me. Bar facilities are better and happy hour as well.  Drivers and owners cafe I loved.  Haven't been back since covid.  Due back.  Chinese restaurant is also awesome. 

 

Hj

 Been to Alexandra Park only a couple of times over the years.

Had good nights on the punt up there but couldn’t rate the excitement highly.

Race the wrong way around that doesn’t help .

Addington any day!

[Honestjohn]

1 minute ago, Brodie said:

 

 Been to Alexandra Park only a couple of times over the years.

Had good nights on the punt up there but couldn’t rate the excitement highly.

Race the wrong way around that doesn’t help .

Addington any day!

Auckland way around suited my horse.  Plus on the lash with Auckland mates and my trainer.  Stayed across road.  Duck across road to track for brekky. 

Into casino on Saturday night after drinking in clevedon boozer in afternoon.  Or  puhoi boozer. 

 

Hj

[TAB For Ever]

On 2/13/2024 at 1:35 PM, thrillsnspills said:

Recent visit to the MET

Addington has a good deal for owners 20% off food and alcohol  that's good better than 1 free beer as it was before, Plus on a recent visit buy one pizza get second same size for free plus there was a good crowd.

Been awhile since of been to the Park, they use to say get a free book and pen woop dee doo, Can someone tell me what the park gives.

Maybe they have to change like the Met to entice new patronage 

Big stake money at the top wont help at all. The bottom is where it is needed.      

An unfortunate time to compare with the ATC financially floundering and very much on the back foot.

Financial worries aside ,there is desperate shortage of horses....after being relegated to often race on Thursday nights ,ATC is at least back on mainly Fridays but many small fields often mean small fields which often are very unattractive for betting on. Hard to remedy too cos Trainig rates generally higher in North.

I visit both quite frequently and there is nothing to beat the two big days at Addington Cup week. Aside from that the attendances are not flash at their 'normal' meetings. Racing now a TV sport !

ATC fortunately still receives great HRNZ support for their Group races which brings a host of top Southern horses and drivers North for certain dates.

An older lady recently commented to me at ATC it was a great night out for her...free park , free racebook ,free water a choice of viewing options ...the horses, stables etc slightly closer at ATC . And overall the people there tho older IMO are friendlier.Many eating options from wedges,roasts , buffet ,Chinese and Lone Star .Can't imagine the drinks /bar would be seen as 'cheap' but if you want to concentrate on the booze I'd suggest maybe stay at home in front of TV. And put  what you save in a jar and join up with a syndicate in the North........Lincoln Farms , Stonewall , Breckon Farms and Woodland all run affordable syndicates and are a very enjoyable. 

Of course Addington has most of the above too including many syndicate options for a few pennies I believe......this is the best way to get amongst a good Harness experience for low cost.

If you have a couple of million to spare buy and live an Apartment at the ATC and  if facing the track ,watch from your balcony beside the fridge ....and hope the Club survives !

Overall ATC warmer and maybe more other things to do on your visit..eg this Friday , stay over and Ellerslie on Saturday.

But Christchurch Cup week reigns supreme...not to be missed !

 

 

[Walt]

I'd be interested to see what the demographic is with the patrons at both venues. I went to just about every Auckland Cup since Enterprise and Wolfie beat Our Mana and Dillon Dale in 1984. Down the track were Hands Down and Delightful Lady. 

Personal observations back in the day were a mixed crowd age group wise. For the last 10 or 15 years or so that changed. Mostly the 50+ age group.

Most people I knew would happily go to sporting events or music gigs but no longer had enthusiasm for a night out at the Park. 

Then I go back to Addington and the place just felt alive. No shortage of the 50+ age group or even the 80+ but an army of young people. Chances are many of those young people didn't give a monkey's about the racing but they were there and obviously felt Addington was the place to be. 

To my eye, Auckland are struggling to retain even the older patrons let alone entice the younger crowd. That's not a good sign. 

From a viewing perspective, the racing @ Addington was a much better watch. 

Auckland trotting just doesn't rock for me anymore for a list of reasons. I'll happily tune in to feature races but the week to week stuff just has no appeal. 

 

 

. 

 

[thrillsnspills]

2 hours ago, Walt said:

Totally agree with you WALT I go right back when I use to live next to the Logan Park Hotel, I been in horse ownership both as a breeder Buyer  Syndicate's and still bred and buy I often wonder why at times but I love em  like you say Walt young people are at Addington which they are not at the Park I use to say ask anyone under 30 what happens at Alexandra park now it would have to say ask anyone under 40 and you will get a blank look .As for buying one of those apartments I wouldn't take one even if you gave it to me. But you could be looking at more apartments and no race track and don't ever think that wouldn't happen because it could 75 % of horses are now in the south often Rangiora gets workouts of 80 plus horse since when did I ever see that at pukie. As for friendliness the Addington beats the Park hands down. My view yes alot will disagree but we are all entitled to our own opinion....ps We do need the park to survive.       

 

[Walt]

On 2/15/2024 at 3:52 PM, thrillsnspills said:

 

In business, we are constantly evaluating what is working and just as importantly, what isn't. 

Two of the Elephants in the room.

I'm going to gravitate toward the negative here, but I feel two high profile people at Alexandra Park are consistently sending a boring same old same old message to patrons on and off course. 

Craig Thompson and Aaron White. I don't want to be unkind. Just sharing my perspective.

Both guys are obviously passionate about Harness Racing and have carved out their own spot in the game doing exactly what they enjoy doing. Good on them......but

The saturation point with Craig Thompson was reached some years ago. He's the "expert" at every harness meeting around NZ. I'd be ok with him if he was just used for Auckland or Cambridge via the studio or his home, but he's everywhere, even Gore ffs. Is there no other option for the bottom half of the South Island and another expert comments person for Canterbury? 

Craig's appearance, mannerisms and sound would be right at home as a funeral director or Minister of the Church. Unrelatable to virtually every younger person and a cure for insomnia for many others. Yes, he does his homework and has earned a place in the game but not the high profile spot every week at every harness meeting. He's more a trackside issue than an Alexandra Park issue but you don't see or hear him and feel enticed to go on track.

Aaron White is a good caller for the gallopers and doggies but I find him difficult to stomach at Alexandra Park. He's the "Voice" of the Park so sets the tone. Unfortunately, it's the wrong tone.

His focus on the drivers rather than the horses has gone well past it's use by date. 

I don't know anyone who refers to David Butcher as "The Chief"...it's obsequious, boring and utterly pointless. He used the term every time I watched a race. If you were to speak to David, would you address him as David or The Chief? It's a nauseating attempt to curry favour and set some type of trend. Tony Herlihy has been a wonderful driver for decades. Very good man. I can't see him and not think of Forest Gump  ....The "Iceman" term is pathetic.

Todd Mitchell has been a superb driver for decades. He's no Wizard ffs yet Aaron is determined to throw that pet name in at every opportunity. I watched a race a year ago and heard him use "The Wizard" seven times in one far king race. wtf? 

I've liked Maurice McKendry as a driver for many years. He's had a grand career and is still in the game achieving fine results but he's no Magic Man. 

I only watched five races last night and the last two were on mute.

They got rid of Tony Lee but retain Aaron White? Tony would be superb @ Alexandra Park. Did a sterling job @ The Jewels some years ago.

Look at the Canterbury caller and compare Aaron. Matt Cross is a good marketing image for harness racing. Young, relatable, presentable, not morbidly obese,  and usually focuses on the horses during the race rather than the drivers.

I don't mute Matt while he's calling races I'm watching.

I wish both Craig and Aaron well, but not as the faces and voices of Auckland Harness Racing. 

Edited February 16 by Walt

[the galah]

32 minutes ago, Walt said:

In business, we are constantly evaluating what is working and just as importantly, what isn't. 

Two of the Elephants in the room.

I'm going to gravitate toward the negative here, but I feel two high profile people at Alexandra Park are consistently sending a boring same old same old message to patrons on and off course. 

Craig Thompson and Aaron White. I don't want to be unkind. Just sharing my perspective.

Both guys are obviously passionate about Harness Racing and have carved out their own spot in the game doing exactly what they enjoy doing. Good on them......but

The saturation point with Craig Thompson was reached some years ago. He's the "expert" at every harness meeting around NZ. I'd be ok with him if he was just used for Auckland or Cambridge via the studio or his home, but he's everywhere, even Gore ffs. Is there no other option for the bottom half of the South Island and another expert comments person for Canterbury? 

Craig's appearance, mannerisms and sound would be right at home as a funeral director or Minister of the Church. Unrelatable to virtually every younger person and a cure for insomnia for many others. Yes, he does his homework and has earned a place in the game but not the high profile spot every week at every harness meeting. He's more a trackside issue than an Alexandra Park issue but you don't see or hear him and feel enticed to go on track.

Aaron White is a good caller for the gallopers and doggies but I find him difficult to stomach at Alexandra Park. He's the "Voice" of the Park so sets the tone. Unfortunately, it's the wrong tone.

His focus on the drivers rather than the horses has gone well past it's use by date. 

I don't know anyone who refers to David Butcher as "The Chief"...it's obsequious, boring and utterly pointless. He used the term every time I watched a race. If you were to speak to David, would you address him as David or The Chief? It's a nauseating attempt to curry favour and set some type of trend. Tony Herlihy has been a wonderful driver for decades. Very good man. I can't see him and not think of Forest Gump  ....The "Iceman" term is pathetic.

Todd Mitchell has been a superb driver for decades. He's no Wizard ffs yet Aaron is determined to throw that pet name in at every opportunity. I watched a race a year ago and heard him use "The Wizard" seven times in one far king race. wtf? 

I've liked Maurice McKendry as a driver for many years. He's had a grand career and is still in the game achieving fine results but he's no Magic Man. 

I only watched five races last night and the last two were on mute.

They got rid of Tony Lee but retain Aaron White? Tony would be superb @ Alexandra Park. Did a sterling job @ The Jewels some years ago.

Look at the Canterbury caller and compare Aaron. Matt Cross is a good marketing image for harness racing. Young, relatable, presentable, not morbidly obese,  and usually focuses on the horses during the race rather than the drivers.

I don't mute Matt while he's calling races I'm watching.

I wish both Craig and Aaron well, but not as the faces and voices of Auckland Harness Racing. 

I agree with you about the whale. great guy,but last night having greg o'connor in the studio was much better than having the whale there. Keep the whale for his on course comments at auckland. It worked well last night with o'connor in the studio and the 2 on course presenters. I don't mind the lady they have that does the trots on trackside either.  

And i totally agree about aaron white. I think he does a very good job when calling the dogs and gallops,but when it comes to the trots he just seems to have no excitement in the average run of the mill races.

Theres an inconsistency in his performances,especially for the low grade meetings in my opinion. I've always thought if hes the man selling harness racing as an exciting sport,then harness racing won't get any new clients. 

Combine the whale in studio and aaron white as commentator and it comes across as a boring sport.

Edited February 17 by the galah

[Brodie]

There have been some terrible decisions being made by some, and yes we need to be attracting new people into the sport or it will fall into oblivion!

Correct that we really need the right people in important positions to make things more attractive to entice people to offload!

There are currently unemployed ex commentators in NZ that I personally believe are better than what we currently have in Auckland, 

Even sacking Tony Lee the galloping trainer, was a crazy decision.

Craig Thompson’s tipping ability has been debated many times, and to be called the best analyst for harness racing in NZ is just a load of rubbish!

If he was that good, the TAB wouldnt be letting him tip horses out to punters for them to beat the TAB!

It is also a conflict of interest having a tip line, being a punter betting with the NZ TAB and also being employed by Trackside!!!

The TAB obviously thinks he is doing a good job for them by continuing to pay him!

We need to make harness racing exciting and sexy to attract young ones, but it certainly wont be easy as we have lost a couple of decades!

Agreed that if they want “The Whale” to tip in Auckland still, have a younger person concentrating on the South Island racing!

Wouldnt think there would be too many punters in the Canterbury area that actually takes notice of tipsters picks anyway?

 

Edited February 17 by Brodie

[Brodie]

Sorry Tony Lee, Commentator lol

[TAB For Ever]

For the record IMO Aaron White does a very good job, I like his calling style ,accuracy and flow. And IMO his 'nicknames' for some of the top drivers is a small but OK addition.

Obviously many who post regularly are anti-Auckland looking for some negatives to associate with the ATC.

Not much comment re the 'good races' on Friday , but great some kudos given to Dr Luc Chin who is a real stalwart of Northern trotting with home-bred horses.

A real shortage of horses in the North is going to continue to be ATC's biggest challenge to stir up interest and betting !

[the galah]

9 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

For the record IMO Aaron White does a very good job, I like his calling style ,accuracy and flow. And IMO his 'nicknames' for some of the top drivers is a small but OK addition.

Obviously many who post regularly are anti-Auckland looking for some negatives to associate with the ATC.

Not much comment re the 'good races' on Friday , but great some kudos given to Dr Luc Chin who is a real stalwart of Northern trotting with home-bred horses.

A real shortage of horses in the North is going to continue to be ATC's biggest challenge to stir up interest and betting !

Aaron white does have a good accuracy and flow as you describe.

However the difference between him and say a mat cross or justin evans or jazon teaz is that they seem to be able to transfer the excitement,disappointment in their use of language and tone in to a commentary and feel the excitement as if they knew the connections and horses.

I also like craig rail. His calls not quite as exciting as the three i have just mentioned but because he displays and acknowledges the breeding and ownership details that many find interesting better than anyone else,his all round game is very good.

The likes of fogarty seems talented and has really good potential to reach high levels and mccook goes ok.I would rate Mccook similar to aaron white,but mcccok has more transferrable energy in his calls than white does when it comes to run of the mill races.

After all,90% of races run in nz harness are run of the mill,every day races. A good commentator can make those races sound just as exciting for connections and listeners as a big race and people who watch and listen to a commentary can feel that. So thats why i feel they need to use someone else for harness racing in the north.

In fiarness to, white,he doesn't have the same product to work with like they do else where. In other words its just the same small group of people involved in northern harness racing and northern harness raci9ng is more boring than elsewhere. Mind you jason teaz used to have small fields at places like forbury but was able to capture the viewers attention.

Edited February 18 by the galah

[Walt]

7 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

For the record IMO Aaron White does a very good job, I like his calling style ,accuracy and flow. And IMO his 'nicknames' for some of the top drivers is a small but OK addition.

Obviously many who post regularly are anti-Auckland looking for some negatives to associate with the ATC.

Not much comment re the 'good races' on Friday , but great some kudos given to Dr Luc Chin who is a real stalwart of Northern trotting with home-bred horses.

A real shortage of horses in the North is going to continue to be ATC's biggest challenge to stir up interest and betting !

Had your user name been anything else I would take your input more seriously. 

If I went to a Political blog and changed my user name to "Chris Hipkins is a fabulous leader", you could guarantee there would be no rational discussion not riddled with blatant bias and misrepresentations. The fact NZ totally rejected Hipkins is completely lost on "Chris Hipkins is a fabulous leader".

Pretty sure I stated previously that I feel Aaron White is a good caller for the dogs and gallopers. ...but just like "The Whale" he is well past his use by date. If they are the future faces of Auckland Harness then good luck. 

Interesting that you state he is accurate. I can only assume from that statement you don't pay close attention. His calls are often riddled with errors. 

I cross paths with many in the industry and you're the first person to state they felt White's use of pet names for drivers was a positive. Many I've spoken to consider it meaningless and bereft of value where as others find it obsequious and nauseating. The one common denominator was that it adds absolutely nothing of value to his calls. 

Over the years I have enjoyed nicknames for top line horses. Big Red, Cardy and Pocket Battleship are just three that come quickly to mind. They do add value and were appropriate. Furthermore, it was not rare to hear others repeat those nicknames on and off the racecourse. "The Chief" and "The Wizard" are two of the most inane, ridiculous and inappropriate nicknames for any harness driver. Once again, I've never heard a single other person in harness racing use those names. It is however common for White to use those names multiple times during his calls.

It seems clear he's attempting to curry favour with those drivers and set some type of trend. After years of this, it's become nauseating. If Harness Racing in Auckland was flourishing and patrons were giving positive feedback then fair enough. That's a fail on both scores there so why do it? 

Your claim that many that post here regularly are "Anti Auckland"...

The first Auckland Cup I can remember was when DG, Jack and Rod won the 1969 edition with Leading Light. The first Cup I went to was in 1984 when Enterprise beat Our Mana. From 1987 on when Master Mood won, our kids came with us on New Years Eve. It was a family tradition until 2016 when Dream About Me won. I was a strong supporter of Auckland Harness. From one month to to the next I'd often go to the better meetings with a mate. Interest in Auckland harness went down hill from there. There is a list of things that have contributed to the decline in appeal. Feel free to put patches over both eyes on that score and blame people who no longer get excited about Auckland harness but you're missing the elephants in the room. Taking a Saatchi & Saachi approach may succeed in an echo chamber but will likely fail elsewhere. 

As for the "Good" races on Friday. Firstly, the 150k 3 year old fillies final. What a poor indictment that race was for Harness Racing. 150k for a race like that when you have really exciting races around NZ struggling to get even a half way decent stake. The quality of the field was ordinary for such a big stake and history will prove that. The numbers were small. The race was boring until the last 10 metres when it looked like any one of three could win it. Ultimately, it was a predictable lead, trail, parked result. 

Then you look at the 200K 3 year old feature. Best two horses in the race were obviously Chase A Dream for Mark Purdon and Cold Chisel for Barry Purdon. The lead trail was quickly established with those two so the result was a done deal after 100 metres. There was excitement over which one of the two would prevail late in the race but there was a touch of the same old same old about the entire race. Happy to admit I cashed in on what I felt was a predictable result. 

Best race of the night to my eye was the 25k 3 year old race won by We Walk By Faith.

Stirring up interest in Auckland harness will take more than bigger fields in my opinion. I wish it wasn't so but Auckland trotting has been headed in the wrong direction and are now reaping what they've sewn. The Golden Goose is no longer.

Re your statement about no positive feedback. I enjoyed Dr Luk Chin winning the 40k Breeders with Jasinova .......... but on the score of no feedback. 

The TAB website is a disgrace and at times impossible to have confidence in. A mate told me he waited almost three to find out what he'd won with three wagers last week let alone get paid out. It was a complete shambles. 

I went to put a wager on the Champions League Football the following morning only to see the "Closed" sign up for apparent scheduled maintenance. No bet placed.

What unfolded on Saturday with the TAB website was a disgraceful and embarrassing indictment that's sadly become very familiar to NZ punters. Impossible to have confidence in it.

I was very keen on two horses at Rangiora. Both won. I'm not a big punter but put $50 on each of them. The site said my wagers were not accepted......but my balance dropped by $100. After the horses won I assumed my balance would increase by $510 but what happened an hour later was my $100 was returned to me. What a debacle. 

Despite your  user name cheerleading the TAB, it's noted you gave zero feedback here on this diabolical situation. 

Head in the sand may get the job done in an echo chamber but nowhere else. 

 

[TAB For Ever]

So pleased you enjoy my brief comment........and I was away from TV /computer/ racetrack on Saturday looking at Harness yearlings with some visitors so pretty much missed the TAB shambles .

I guess I get used to infrastructure failure in NZ ....but don't get used to many folks constant negativity.

Spent listening to some old ladies yesterday moaning about the NZ Cricket commentators . I watch and similarly get a bit ticked off but just turn the sound down.

And I miss getting on more bets on than most ,probably overall this has saved me money...a lot of money ! And like many I am so astute I can recoup it the next day !

Dead against putting the boot into commentators ,overall NZ been well served with them.When Tom Wood started the personal attacks were disgusting.

And I firm on the anti-Auckland  thing, experienced it for years especially as mostly lived and worked in the South. And only lived Auckland for shorter periods.

So yes , I only one opinion , but I think I qualify and should be free to express it. 

I find if you change the way you look at things Walt the things you look at change !

[mikeynz]

2 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

So pleased you enjoy my brief comment........and I was away from TV /computer/ racetrack on Saturday looking at Harness yearlings with some visitors so pretty much missed the TAB shambles .

I guess I get used to infrastructure failure in NZ ....but don't get used to many folks constant negativity.

Spent listening to some old ladies yesterday moaning about the NZ Cricket commentators . I watch and similarly get a bit ticked off but just turn the sound down.

And I miss getting on more bets on than most ,probably overall this has saved me money...a lot of money ! And like many I am so astute I can recoup it the next day !

Dead against putting the boot into commentators ,overall NZ been well served with them.When Tom Wood started the personal attacks were disgusting.

And I firm on the anti-Auckland  thing, experienced it for years especially as mostly lived and worked in the South. And only lived Auckland for shorter periods.

So yes , I only one opinion , but I think I qualify and should be free to express it. 

I find if you change the way you look at things Walt the things you look at change !

You firm on being anti Auckland, good for you.

[thrillsnspills]

When you have people on the Auckland Board asking others like Mr Balle and Mr Street to put some money into Auckland Harness that goes to show how far in the mire the club is. Many others like Lincoln Farms who have donated more than their fare share of dollars to the industry over the years. Where has all the money gone? Auckland has had some great people but for whatever reason they got pushed out the late Revell Douglas springs to mind, young and forward thinking. The club did nothing to support the owner trainers who turn up week in week, they struggle to get in the top half dozen places but they still turn up, a coffee card loyalty system was suggested years ago by trainers that now no longer train or have moved across the ditch, a great idea to add some money back into the pockets of those that turn up week after week,  e.g. a bonus of $500 for attending 3/4 weeks. A bonus  would have done something to pay some bills, but nope not even a free sausage. No wonder they place has gone backwards. Yes with farm land around Auckland region turned into housing this has not helped. But you have to move with the times. As soon as Lotto came on board in 1987 that is where some of the punting dollar went. Then sports betting and casinos you name it you can bet on it,  HRNZ has not done anything in my view to attract or promote the sport. All that's happened is training fees, breeding fees and the list goes on have sky rocketed, stake money has not stayed in touch.       

[the galah]

2 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

So pleased you enjoy my brief comment........and I was away from TV /computer/ racetrack on Saturday looking at Harness yearlings with some visitors so pretty much missed the TAB shambles .

I guess I get used to infrastructure failure in NZ ....but don't get used to many folks constant negativity.

Spent listening to some old ladies yesterday moaning about the NZ Cricket commentators . I watch and similarly get a bit ticked off but just turn the sound down.

And I miss getting on more bets on than most ,probably overall this has saved me money...a lot of money ! And like many I am so astute I can recoup it the next day !

Dead against putting the boot into commentators ,overall NZ been well served with them.When Tom Wood started the personal attacks were disgusting.

And I firm on the anti-Auckland  thing, experienced it for years especially as mostly lived and worked in the South. And only lived Auckland for shorter periods.

So yes , I only one opinion , but I think I qualify and should be free to express it. 

I find if you change the way you look at things Walt the things you look at change !

If we look at what you have just said.

You say your "firm on the anti auckland thing",putting our opinions into that category.  Whereas we are just saying auckland racing is more boring because we find it more boring.

In other words,that has nothing to do with being anti-auckland.

Then you refer to personel attacks when discussing commentators,as if someone saying aaron white is not rated highly as a trots commentator,is in someway meant  as a personal attack.

In reality we think there are much better commentators who could be doing the job and we say that because thats what we think.No hidden agendas,just saying what we think.

So your countering the opinions held by others with an invalid arguments. Or then again ,thats may be what you actually think. Nothing wrong with that,but you didn't stop there,you went on to justify those opinions with what you should know was irrelevant.

Personally i have a theory about the commentating side of things.

That is that a commentotor needs to stay in good physical health to commentate at the highest level on a harness race,or a 2 mile galloping race or a steeplechase..Simply because its the length of time those races take.I believe that is part of why aaron white can't often maintain the energy levels in his calls at harness meetings and is why he is much better at gallops and dogs,because those don't last as long.

[the galah]

35 minutes ago, thrillsnspills said:

When you have people on the Auckland Board asking others like Mr Balle and Mr Street to put some money into Auckland Harness that goes to show how far in the mire the club is. Many others like Lincoln Farms who have donated more than their fare share of dollars to the industry over the years. Where has all the money gone? Auckland has had some great people but for whatever reason they got pushed out the late Revell Douglas springs to mind, young and forward thinking. The club did nothing to support the owner trainers who turn up week in week, they struggle to get in the top half dozen places but they still turn up, a coffee card loyalty system was suggested years ago by trainers that now no longer train or have moved across the ditch, a great idea to add some money back into the pockets of those that turn up week after week,  e.g. a bonus of $500 for attending 3/4 weeks. A bonus  would have done something to pay some bills, but nope not even a free sausage. No wonder they place has gone backwards. Yes with farm land around Auckland region turned into housing this has not helped. But you have to move with the times. As soon as Lotto came on board in 1987 that is where some of the punting dollar went. Then sports betting and casinos you name it you can bet on it,  HRNZ has not done anything in my view to attract or promote the sport. All that's happened is training fees, breeding fees and the list goes on have sky rocketed, stake money has not stayed in touch.       

All good points,but wasn't it the decision to not sell the land and instead become property developers which meant the current ATC board don't have the resources to deal with the problems you mention as well as they should.So you have to cut the current board some slack i suppose.

And from memory a couple of trainers,one being  mr balle,were directors back then?, who made the well meaning but catastrophic decision around the property development. So i guess if anyone knows the pitfalls and has seen the consequences of really poor decision making first hand,who better to approach as investors than those that were on the board in 2014? 

Edited February 19 by the galah

[Honestjohn]

When Barry cotton  was running things at the Met the chairman room was full of his cronies. Absolutely waste of money. 

I don't know who is in charge now??? 

 

Hj

[TAB For Ever]

6 hours ago, the galah said:

If we look at what you have just said.

You say your "firm on the anti auckland thing",putting our opinions into that category.  Whereas we are just saying auckland racing is more boring because we find it more boring.

In other words,that has nothing to do with being anti-auckland.

Then you refer to personel attacks when discussing commentators,as if someone saying aaron white is not rated highly as a trots commentator,is in someway meant  as a personal attack.

In reality we think there are much better commentators who could be doing the job and we say that because thats what we think.No hidden agendas,just saying what we think.

So your countering the opinions held by others with an invalid arguments. Or then again ,thats may be what you actually think. Nothing wrong with that,but you didn't stop there,you went on to justify those opinions with what you should know was irrelevant.

Personally i have a theory about the commentating side of things.

That is that a commentotor needs to stay in good physical health to commentate at the highest level on a harness race,or a 2 mile galloping race or a steeplechase..Simply because its the length of time those races take.I believe that is part of why aaron white can't often maintain the energy levels in his calls at harness meetings and is why he is much better at gallops and dogs,because those don't last as long.

Gee, I actually never met Aaron personally so know nothing about his fitness levels and diet etc.....I heard he plays lawn bowls so could be into triathlons as well !

The anti-Auckland feel is something I noticed while living for a long time in South Island ......became obvious around the Carlos Spencer era when TV showed a young kid in Christchurch at a Rugby game waving a sign 'We hate Auckland'.I giggled when Carlos scored a brilliant try and walked over to corner to place it down and gave the crowd the finger .And of course JHarts horse got booed and bottles thrown at him personally on Cup day. But the few times I moved north I suffered the slings and arrows of my Southern associates. In the North they certainly never bag the South[ maybe the Crusaders occasionally] ,in fact many Jaffas never been to the South , but willingly send them plenty of $$$$ after the Earthquake.

Just look at the on-line bagging Ellerslie received recently .

So I just not referring to Harness...I find small fields a huge turn off personally. Best of all I like Good horses, Good drivers, Close finishes , good track and weather, No $1.50 shots and meeting interesting people/visitors at the races . Last Friday had all those.

Many like the plodders and slow nags struggling on rough grass tracks with barriers like raised crossings etc ...not for me but the big fields attract more betting on Sundays and holidays so they have their place !

This is the internet and anyone free to post opinions .

[TAB For Ever]

6 hours ago, the galah said:

All good points,but wasn't it the decision to not sell the land and instead become property developers which meant the current ATC board don't have the resources to deal with the problems you mention as well as they should.So you have to cut the current board some slack i suppose.

And from memory a couple of trainers,one being  mr balle,were directors back then?, who made the well meaning but catastrophic decision around the property development. So i guess if anyone knows the pitfalls and has seen the consequences of really poor decision making first hand,who better to approach as investors than those that were on the board in 2014? 

 It been very well documented since  but Pretty much sums it up.....at the time of the fateful decision and soon after the Board was pretty much made of many of the big breeders , trainers and owners. The big boss was a domineering wealthy Harness man. Unfortunately he died.

Subsequently the rest boxed on with their flawed plan , hoping their development would provide a 'nest egg' which would futureproof Harness in the North .

Horse numbers were starting to drop off and with costs skyrocketing for Ownership etc cos of Land value ,rents ,feed etc the Stakes obviously needed to increase considerably.

The Development turned to custard and the nestegg  was instead over $100 million loss , owed to the bank !

I doubt if ATC has ever had a Golden Goose available to it !

Covid was another dagger , so like the TAB about the same time they needed someone to help their Cashflow so they could pay the bills / Mortgage. Close to Insolvent !

Hence ATC has begun selling land etc with training track at Pukekohe included in this.

Hoping to survive and build an alternative for training ! 

Currently their Performance is well below where it should be so remains to be seen how long HRNZ will continue to support them with Group races etc...last year they punished them with loss of Friday nights , demoting them to Thursdays but some of that treatment has been reversed !

[Walt]

2 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

Gee, I actually never met Aaron personally so know nothing about his fitness levels and diet etc.....I heard he plays lawn bowls so could be into triathlons as well !

The anti-Auckland feel is something I noticed while living for a long time in South Island ......became obvious around the Carlos Spencer era when TV showed a young kid in Christchurch at a Rugby game waving a sign 'We hate Auckland'.I giggled when Carlos scored a brilliant try and walked over to corner to place it down and gave the crowd the finger .And of course JHarts horse got booed and bottles thrown at him personally on Cup day. But the few times I moved north I suffered the slings and arrows of my Southern associates. In the North they certainly never bag the South[ maybe the Crusaders occasionally] ,in fact many Jaffas never been to the South , but willingly send them plenty of $$$$ after the Earthquake.

Just look at the on-line bagging Ellerslie received recently .

So I just not referring to Harness...I find small fields a huge turn off personally. Best of all I like Good horses, Good drivers, Close finishes , good track and weather, No $1.50 shots and meeting interesting people/visitors at the races . Last Friday had all those.

Many like the plodders and slow nags struggling on rough grass tracks with barriers like raised crossings etc ...not for me but the big fields attract more betting on Sundays and holidays so they have their place !

This is the internet and anyone free to post opinions .

I spent decades in Auckland and am very familiar with all the barbs from Mainlanders that Jaffas and dorklanders etc all believed that New Zealand only went as far South as the Bombay Hills. In most cases It was just friendly banter to stir up rivalry.

Grass track harness racing has huge appeal with many and is a big fav of mine ......but I also can't stand the crossings that are often just a train wreck waiting to happen.  

Grass tracks don't necessarily equate to slow nags. 

Not a fan of passing lanes. On big roomy grass tracks luck in the running is less of an issue. 

As for opinions, mine is that your user name is a turd sandwich. I assumed it was a piss take. Our TAB is a bag of festering turds. I would expect anyone that kisses the arse of the NZ TAB also rides on a special bus and presses their nose up against the window. 

[Gammalite]

2 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

 It been very well documented since  but Pretty much sums it up.....at the time of the fateful decision and soon after the Board was pretty much made of many of the big breeders , trainers and owners. The big boss was a domineering wealthy Harness man. Unfortunately he died.

Subsequently the rest boxed on with their flawed plan , hoping their development would provide a 'nest egg' which would futureproof Harness in the North .

Horse numbers were starting to drop off and with costs skyrocketing for Ownership etc cos of Land value ,rents ,feed etc the Stakes obviously needed to increase considerably.

The Development turned to custard and the nestegg  was instead over $100 million loss , owed to the bank !

I doubt if ATC has ever had a Golden Goose available to it !

Covid was another dagger , so like the TAB about the same time they needed someone to help their Cashflow so they could pay the bills / Mortgage. Close to Insolvent !

Hence ATC has begun selling land etc with training track at Pukekohe included in this.

Hoping to survive and build an alternative for training ! 

Currently their Performance is well below where it should be so remains to be seen how long HRNZ will continue to support them with Group races etc...last year they punished them with loss of Friday nights , demoting them to Thursdays but some of that treatment has been reversed !

wow TABman . thats a cross between reading a weepy tear-jerker novel and a Steven King horror story. the developer bloke dying was a real catalyst towards disaster.

The racing past couple of Fridays has been exceptional . I'm glad they got a Friday night spot back. The Franklin track going is a Huge loss. where will those trainers go?  and visiting trainers.

The ENtain CEO bloke is a good dude from Queensland who is investing in the yearling sales there past 4-5 years and is keeping his runners there now (with Barry and Scott ) and already won the Nz Derby with Merlin in Dec. He is the man to help keep it going . Not just for his horses but he must have BIG-WIG mates he can get to buy yearlings and race them too .