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Bit Of A Yarn

Auckland Cup next week..


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 CORRECTION............The Andertons have held up Otago racing ........not contributed to current bleakness !

Last paragraph above , for those who have read above........quite a good summary if I do say myself !

Anyone been to Nelson gallops may remember Superman ,or Compensate or Grand Couer !

Or Shorty Healy !

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2 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

Interesting .....is this something you have introduced or tried to introduce to Clubs ?

Calls for change ,and many of us  racefolk don't react kindly or quickly to change.

The meetings which have a big on-course  crowds nowdays like Cup Week in Christchurch , Kumara ,Nelson Trots ,Wellington Cup and few others have to ship or fly in Tote staff to sell tickets at the tote.

Many of these people brought in from other end of New Zealand eg Auckland. They fly down to Wellington and Christchurch and up from Dunedin. During Cup week I noticed several were leaving early before end of day , then returning again for the big Saturday. When Nelson/Kumara back to back they have the fun of a bus ride and tiki tour to man the tills !

You are out of touch if you think that The Wellington Cup still attracts big crowds. For the last two years maybe 5k on each occasion but perhaps that is big by your standards

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On 3/03/2024 at 7:39 PM, TAB For Ever said:

The big 3200m race next week.Going by nominations it looks like an even capacity field with several chances.

Possibly 3 x past winners will line up.....Uareastar , Ocean Billy and Roger That.

As well as those three , previous winning trainers who have won the event include Lance O'Sullivan , Bruce Wallace ,Debbie Sweeney,Alan Sharrock and Bill Thurlow.

A winning jockey Grant Cooksley likely to be a co-trainer..

Wellington Cup winners Mary Louise and Waisake are likely starters ditto 2023 NZ Cup winner Mahrajaan.

Should be another great days racing at Ellerslie...Fields out Wednesday

Good god…. Only you could see something positive around the calibre of horse racing in that field….they are mainly hacks!

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51 minutes ago, Bloke said:

You are out of touch if you think that The Wellington Cup still attracts big crowds. For the last two years maybe 5k on each occasion but perhaps that is big by your standards

Yep ,haven't been there the past couple of years but suffered thru many editions prior so if thats out of touch ,then I out of touch.

But following the betting numbers it has been one of the biggest in turnover. Unsure with Covid years and two years ago it was wet and miserable.

But 5000 to me is a nice comfortable crowd and I'd say take the kids out and 5000 is a good crowd.

Plus I know of several TAB workers who were flown down to man the selling windows these past few years from Auckland so the point of my post was still relevant IMO. I think you have pointed out they no longer count the attendance , so with the smaller clubs who have few meetings but a gate charge I get a feel by looking at the Clubs accounts !

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53 minutes ago, Newmarket said:

Good god…. Only you could see something positive around the calibre of horse racing in that field….they are mainly hacks!

God is good , but why does he create such negative thoughts among his human beings ? 

It is a maximum size field , with a few hopefuls missing out it has is the biggest of our 3200m Cups as far as money and 'aura' and many connections and jockeys want to win it.

The field can only be the best of what is around at present time....No Aussies this year like the past 3 and no Mainlanders tho Kylie Williams is having her first ride at Ellerslie ,having never ridden north of Rotorua.

That 's an extra twist.....

Over the years it has often been a race lacking in top class highly rated horses  hence a drop in status 

But it still the Auckland Cup !

Peace be with you !

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31 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said:

But following the betting numbers it has been one of the biggest in turnover. Unsure with Covid years and two years ago it was wet and miserab

Oncourse tote this year was 277k (stakes 1,560k) cf. Kumara say, 221k (stakes 176k).

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5 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

Interesting .....is this something you have introduced or tried to introduce to Clubs ?

Calls for change ,and many of us  racefolk don't react kindly or quickly to change.

The meetings which have a big on-course  crowds nowdays like Cup Week in Christchurch , Kumara ,Nelson Trots ,Wellington Cup and few others have to ship or fly in Tote staff to sell tickets at the tote.

Many of these people brought in from other end of New Zealand eg Auckland. They fly down to Wellington and Christchurch and up from Dunedin. During Cup week I noticed several were leaving early before end of day , then returning again for the big Saturday. When Nelson/Kumara back to back they have the fun of a bus ride and tiki tour to man the tills !

Introducing some new is not easy. You can't even get thru to TAB by telephone. What gets me is that new technology should make operations cheaper and easier. Instead they spend huge capital and get themselves into a total tizz. People now are far more au fait with scanning with their phone. Its ridiculous paying and collecting after each race. Transfering money into a temporary account doesn't require any operators. The problem is TAB only thinks in terms a normal account with extensive ID requirements for money laundering laws. Thats rubbish. Temporary accounts are the key to oncourse betting.

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2 hours ago, curious said:

Oncourse tote this year was 277k (stakes 1,560k) cf. Kumara say, 221k (stakes 176k).

I have been told that Tauherenikau's Waitangi Day on course turnover was well above that of the on course turn over for Waikato's Group One Day. 

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12 minutes ago, Bloke said:

I have been told that Tauherenikau's Waitangi Day on course turnover was well above that of the on course turn over for Waikato's Group One Day. 

Yep. Tauherenikau 175k on course. Waikato 147k.

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1 hour ago, curious said:

Yep. Tauherenikau 175k on course. Waikato 147k.

Is that serious? Do you mean the Te Rapa day with a couple of Group 1s, one at $600,000, a group 2 and one of the new gimmick races? How on earth can that be sustainable?

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1 hour ago, Doomed said:

Is that serious? Do you mean the Te Rapa day with a couple of Group 1s, one at $600,000, a group 2 and one of the new gimmick races? How on earth can that be sustainable?

This is not the first time that Tauherenikau has been up on Waikato's Group One Day. A few years ago, Tauherenikau only had 7 races on Waitangi Day and still exceeded Waikato by some margin. Yes, and look who is running Te Rapa, Wonder Boy, "The Fat Butcher".

 

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All total proof that the quality of what people are betting on is irrelevant, very much like the Melbourne Cup being not much more than a glorified hack race.  Much more emphasis is, and should be, put on the race day experience particularly as part of an ongoing plan to retain current and encourage potential participants.  As our whole industry is reliant upon turnover let us not under estimate those not in the top 10 trainers, jockeys or owners, all of whom are providing important product to the industry.

The current bods at the top do not have the right recipe.  The Chair moving on may right the wrong.  Rodney coming onto the Board may be a good thing, just as long as it's not all about the breeders from here on in.

I think much can be learned from how one is treated by smaller clubs.  I know some will say how great the big clubs are.  I feel, unless you are winning, the major clubs only kiss the feet of those who are important this week.  I have been involved in sponsorship at all levels and have found that "today's fish 'n' chip wrapping" mentality from the big clubs.  On days you are not sponsoring the club officials just look straight through you.  As opposed to the small clubs where, whether it be sponsorship, race horse owner, or betting patron on a particular day, your continued support is valued.

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21 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

 CORRECTION............The Andertons have held up Otago racing ........not contributed to current bleakness !

Last paragraph above , for those who have read above........quite a good summary if I do say myself !

 

Others would say "you don't know the truth..."

 

ps. TAB For Ever,  by Mark Twain out of Ms Propaganda, by Party Line, from the Head Office family

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On 3/7/2024 at 9:21 AM, Bloke said:

Sure, there are many kids but Tauherenikau's contribution to racing is significant as they are introducing these kids to racing. All the entertainment is provided for the kids is met by the club, they are not parasites on the industry such as the Karaka Millions which is the costliest piss up of the year. 

As far as the so-called list of attendance goes, even in the days that they were supposed to be counting they would have to have got up early to count at Tauherenikau because by 9am on January 2, Race Day there are already thousands on course.

Good post. Not sure why the tab thinks it's a bad post.

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3 hours ago, Cyril said:

Good post. Not sure why the tab thinks it's a bad post.

 

3 hours ago, Cyril said:

Good post. Not sure why the tab thinks it's a bad post.

Cos I object to the clause re 'parasites'.......and the myth about 'kids games and picnic 'days being of use in this modern era.

Would better reopening TAB's and offering a a free baby sitting service for day and teaching the kiddies how to fill in a bet slip !

Cheer up Cyril !

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On 3/8/2024 at 8:18 PM, Doomed said:

Is that serious? Do you mean the Te Rapa day with a couple of Group 1s, one at $600,000, a group 2 and one of the new gimmick races? How on earth can that be sustainable?

Yes sounds right.......its a balance ,like any retail business each product has a different mark up or profit  ,as does any outlet /location . There are loss leaders , gimmicks and promotions.

Most race meetings lose money but in the wash up the organisation has enough income streams to make a profit which it allocates to certain areas where the future can be sustained. 

History tells us at TAB what courses can  promote the sport/industry best and handle the races with the big races [stakewise] which encourages owners to heavily invest in the horses etc who provide the betting options.

Recently these mug owners were receiving about 25% back from what they invested.......without them and if we at TAB had to buy all of the Horses the industry would not last 5 minutes.

Keyboard warriors often go to a picnic meeting on a public holiday and bang on about it.....in very early days most towns in NZ had a racetrack , but fortunately many of these closed down and there is more to go......NZ Racing ensures that the ones worth keeping are kept eg Wairarapa ,West Coast , Central Otago  .

Its kinda suggested that these small jewels who get their day in sun should have considerably more meetings but it wouldn't and couldn't work .Cos it is great to picnic with kids a little bit the novelty would soon wear off . Hence the bigger , better known tracks get more meetings.Even they struggle on many days to attract betting from tough overseas competition [especially Australia ].

So yes Tauherenikau beat Te Rapa in oncourse turnover just like Reefton beat Ellerslie 3 years ago.

And they even had an entry gate fee  for Reefton and Tauherenikau  , none for the big dogs, Impressive.

Lets start a movement to get these days rescheduled.Must be a winner if suggested on here !

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