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Bit Of A Yarn

Easter Saturday


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Looking at the meetings for this Saturday,  and it all feels rather flat. There's the Riverton knees up, but just an 8 race card for Auckland.

How does this compare with 20 years ago? Where's the CD in all this?

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54 minutes ago, Cyril said:

Looking at the meetings for this Saturday,  and it all feels rather flat. There's the Riverton knees up, but just an 8 race card for Auckland.

How does this compare with 20 years ago? Where's the CD in all this?

Appalling programming for an Easter weekend , this is why the sport loses the general public they just have no idea and they'll sit back on their laurels and blame the fact they have to pay public holiday rates etc. but clueless comes to mind.

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You would think that after all the fanfare surrounding the Karaka meeting that Easter would be an ideal time to promote another high quality race meeting after all there are 4 days of nothing happening for the racegoer.

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Fifty years ago I won a race at Tauherenikau. I would have preferred starting at Feilding on the same day but was ballotted out. I think there was also a division race at Feilding meaning extra jockeys. Those dual meetings happened Saturday and Monday. Both meetings had a huge influx of Wellingtonians it was treated as a ritual getting out of the capital. The crowds were huge.

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8 hours ago, mikeynz said:

Not too many Cantabrians at Riverton this year, be a good payday for the locals.

I was just thinking some of the races would be struggling if it wasn't for the Pitmans boosting the numbers. Some of these types of meetings are really missing the late Paul Harris.

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28 minutes ago, Doomed said:

I was just thinking some of the races would be struggling if it wasn't for the Pitmans boosting the numbers. Some of these types of meetings are really missing the late Paul Harris.

I guess with Riccarton last week and Ashburton next week, it's not the most attractive idea going all that way south.

In many ways its almost the last big gig for the South, often after Easter numbers thin out, interestingly Ascot Park race Sunday week then nothing for 3 weeks, that seems a fair gap, interestingly last 2 Southern meetings in May offering travel subsidys to try and bolster numbers.

That Riverton track is going to get a bit of a hammering, then maybe another on May 10, such is life.

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1 hour ago, mikeynz said:

I guess with Riccarton last week and Ashburton next week, it's not the most attractive idea going all that way south.

In many ways its almost the last big gig for the South, often after Easter numbers thin out, interestingly Ascot Park race Sunday week then nothing for 3 weeks, that seems a fair gap, interestingly last 2 Southern meetings in May offering travel subsidys to try and bolster numbers.

That Riverton track is going to get a bit of a hammering, then maybe another on May 10, such is life.

Riverton offered travel subsidies which a good idea.......folk remember the good old days , back then Riverton raced Sat,Mon and Tuesday and included jumps racing too which the locals slowly abandoned and it was left to North Island raiders.

It was Harness's day in the sun with a rare day meeting at Addington. No Derby or Easter Cup now but they have 11 races and Group 1 Trot race and good betting fields. Canterbury have grass track harness on Monday and Timaru Wednesday.

Riccarton used to race on Easter Monday but maybe Cantabs prefer Harness more !

Ellerslie has pretty good fields in what was Te Aroha's big Group 1 mares meeting.

Really just the CD that down on action.....does that area actually care , they still have a lot of good horses, trainers and too many Clubs / tracks !!

But all the sport on around the world and some great Australian Racing including the Australian Cup and several Kiwis in action.

The NZTAB expecting a boomer Easter. 

Get amongst it  !

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3 hours ago, Special Agent said:

Maybe a business plan identical to what worked years ago should be offered.

The missing link is the demise of second tier racing. My suggestion is combining 6 tote races with 20 trial races. Each tote race with $10,000 stake money. Budget costs. No glorified photo finish costs, no tote machines or operators, stipes by remote link plus a few other cost savers.

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1 hour ago, curious said:

No they didn't. That is for their May race days isn't it?

Correct , the subsidies advertised were for 2 x day meeting  10th and 12th May down in deep south.

Good incentive .

Riverton trying hard to attract good numbers  !

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On 27/03/2024 at 9:12 PM, Cyril said:

Looking at the meetings for this Saturday,  and it all feels rather flat. There's the Riverton knees up, but just an 8 race card for Auckland.

How does this compare with 20 years ago? Where's the CD in all this?

Hardly any jockeys for another meeting today, majority of jockeys riding at Riverton look like they should still be at the trials for months, never mind racing. 
 

Luckily Addington on today, as well as some great Aus racing and sport. 
Just as well TAB don’t rely on nz gallops….half the time they get abandoned 

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Ascot Park fields are surprisingly good, mostly, 40 minute intervals, that's a drag, the price you pay being on trackside 1  with two other NZ meetings.

Doubt the 40 minutes has anything to do with long lines at the tote lol.

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1 hour ago, Freda said:

Eleven races at Ashburton,  wonder where they'll  put all the horses ?

Probably the best $25,000 open race we have seen for a while. Dare I say it, better than many of the $50,000 open races that go around.

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