Wingman Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 46 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: With unwavering faith in our new direction, we regret any disappointment experienced by those affected in recent weeks. The new direction is from the pulpit to the confessional. In the real world this has DCM written all over it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 12 hours ago, Wingman said: There is more to this than is publicly been told. Gary Grylls statement that the track didn't allow horses to get their hooves into it as much as when they trialed last Monday poses the question WHY? Wilcox says they will aim for 25 May meeting "So we can keep working on it (the track)and learning how best to prepare it" Does that fill one with confidence? Finally CEO Sharrock has been MIA this month as this debacle unfolds. He is scheduled to appear on the last edition of this seasons Weigh In next Monday. Will we be enlightened? COO Darin Balcombe has been the source of the corporate b/s for quite a few weeks now. Is this a 'baptism of fire' readying him to be the new CEO? Sharrock could be forgiven for preferring the management of elite sportspeople to the embarrassment of his second portfolio. If he is unwell, or merely 'on leave' surely there should have been some announcement to that fact? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark D Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 Wilcox and Balcombe both talk in sound bites and click bait phrases that they hope will be picked up upon. Neither deal with the substance of issues but instead they are clinging to the wreckage of the narrative they have created (along with others). Many years ago I would be confident that these charlatans (which includes Shamrock who appears to be avoiding any scrutiny by not appearing/saying anything) would be held to account but I am no longer so naive to think that they will. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted April 24 Author Share Posted April 24 On 21/04/2024 at 3:55 PM, billy connolly said: That's not enough camber for Ellerslie's home bend, it may be sufficient for tracks like Flemington and Riccarton who have big sweeping home bends but it's not adequate for Ellerslie. Horses don't slip galloping in a straight line (unless Mills is running the show) they slip on bends, notably the home bend whilst under pressure. Put a negative camber on a bend and the field will not negotiate it at all and likely end up in the car park or nearest street. I was watching the racing at Mt Gambier today. The track is as flat as a pancake and has more bends than Arthur's Pass. No slipping. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 I note in the new racing calendar they have a meeting scheduled for Ellerslie in September. That's surely inviting a disaster to turn into a catastrophe? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted April 24 Author Share Posted April 24 3 minutes ago, curious said: I note in the new racing calendar they have a meeting scheduled for Ellerslie in September. That's surely inviting a disaster to turn into a catastrophe? Or a lot of marketing and PR spin. I'll say it now and say it loud. The Ellerslie rebuild is a complete fuck up. I was hoping for a lot better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Agent Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 On 4/23/2024 at 6:02 AM, Freda said: If he is unwell, or merely 'on leave' surely there should have been some announcement to that fact? Marital? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy connolly Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 23 hours ago, Chief Stipe said: I was watching the racing at Mt Gambier today. The track is as flat as a pancake and has more bends than Arthur's Pass. No slipping. Totally irrelevant, two different scenarios. What is the current camber at Ellerslie? According to this paper(which is an interesting read) Mooney Valley has 7.5% camber on bends and 2.5% on straights. Ellerslie also has a slight downhill run from approx 1200 metres to the point of the turn and an odd shaped home bend who's contour should've been given more consideration. It looks like Ellerslie have paid a huge price for trying to preserve their old layout. Note Mooney Valley's Strathayr cost 7 million in 1994. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted April 25 Author Share Posted April 25 March 2023 - MVRC Redevelopment Update MVRC Staff 14 March, 2023 Moonee Valley Racing Club has revealed ambitions to become Australia’s most sustainable sports and entertainment precinct, with plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2027 taking a significant leap forward with the recent approval of critical development permits. Moonee Valley Racing Club will undertake a whole-site approach to environmentally sustainable design throughout the master plan delivery. The Club is targeting significant reductions in energy consumption across all facilities, including the new Grandstand and Clubhouse, which will consume at least 20per cent less energy than is required under building regulations. Lighting upgrades will see LED lighting installed on the racetrack, further contributing to reduced energy consumption. The upgrade and operational management will improve the efficiency of track lighting by 52 per cent, saving the Club $400,000 per year. Over 3.5kWH of grid energy is expected to be saved by generating and storing electricity on-site, saving almost 3,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The announcement follows the unveiling of a master planned sports, community and lifestyle precinct designed within the existing racecourse land in one of the most significant urban regeneration projects in Australian history. Modernisation of the racing precinct, construction of a multi-function Grandstand and the creation of recreational, public facilities within the racetrack in-field are key elements of the master plan, which seeks to bring vibrancy to Moonee Ponds and be a major source of jobs and economic growth for generations to come. “This is the most significant transformation in Moonee Valley Racing Club’s 140-year history. The landmark precinct will ensure Moonee Valley Racing Club’s relevancy amongst future generations of customers and the broader community alike,” Moonee Valley Racing Club’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Browell, said. Permit approval for the racetrack upgrades and a revitalised maintenance precinct have now been received, signifying an important marker for the 10-year project as it moves into the delivery stage. Racetrack upgrades include innovative techniques to improve water conservation on the site, such as harvesting water from stormwater pipes and capturing all excess irrigation water from the track. Moonee Valley Racing Club estimates the in-field areas will provide a major water catchment source for future stormwater harvesting. The sustainability initiatives planned will also allow Moonee Valley Racing Club to target Green Star and EnviroDevelopment certification. A significant milestone for the Club, this will be the first time an Australian sports and entertainment precinct has been awarded certification in history. Track expansion will increase the home straight to a new length of 317m, allowing for a longer duration of racing. The Cox Plate will commence from the top of the home straight, improving the visual experience for future racing spectators. The new Grandstand design will enhance the current track's unique “colosseum” effect. When planning the racetrack upgrades, Moonee Valley Racing Club took equine welfare into high consideration, in line with society’s attitudinal shifts towards horse racing. Wider turns for horses on the new track will be within a range of 120m – 133m in radius, with a 3-4 per cent camber at the bends to provide greater safety for the horses running at high speeds. "The realignment of the racetrack creates significant opportunities to modernise the horse racing operations, rebuild and upgrade facilities and implement more sustainable practices at Moonee Valley Racecourse," Moonee Valley Racing Club Chairman, Adam Lennen, said. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted April 25 Author Share Posted April 25 37 minutes ago, billy connolly said: Mooney Valley has 7.5% camber on bends and 2.5% on straights. But their new track won't have the same camber because they are increasing the radius of the bends. Still much smaller than the Ellerslier bend. When did you last walk Ellerslie? I agree with the contour of the last bit of the turn having a tighter radius than the rest of the bend. A camber on a straight is probably only good for drainage and bias. As I keep saying the lack of or insufficient camber is not the cause of the problem at Ellerslie. That's one thing I do agree with the Ellerslie management on - it is the grass matting and root structure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy connolly Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 (edited) 3 hours ago, Chief Stipe said: As I keep saying the lack of or insufficient camber is not the cause of the problem at Ellerslie. That's one thing I do agree with the Ellerslie management on - it is the grass matting and root structure. You're saying that track camber has no affect on a horses cornering ability and their ability to get grip/traction, I'm saying the greater the camber the safer the track. If Ellerslie management are conceding their track surface is sub-standard, why haven't stewards intervened and put an immediate halt to racing until remedied? Stewards should be demanding consensus from Ellerslie management, Strathayr management, Trainers and Jockeys alike. Edited April 25 by billy connolly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted April 25 Author Share Posted April 25 1 hour ago, billy connolly said: You're saying that track camber has no affect on a horses cornering ability and their ability to get grip/traction, I'm saying the greater the camber the safer the track. I'm not saying that at all. The tighter the radius of the bend the more camber you need. BUT the radius of the bend at Ellerslie is very large and so little or no camber is required. But the camber ISN'T the issue it is the surface. It is slippery even if you were galloping straight. The horses hooves are sliding on the grass and top layer. 1 hour ago, billy connolly said: If Ellerslie management are conceding their track surface is sub-standard, why haven't stewards intervened and put an immediate halt to racing until remedied? Which should be the RIB's prime responsibilty. Why Karaka Millions night wasn't called off for safety reasons should be questioned. Why didn't they inspect after each race at the last meeting when they knew there had been problems? 1 hour ago, billy connolly said: Stewards should be demanding consensus from Ellerslie management, Strathayr management, Trainers and Jockeys alike Consensus from that group of disparate interests and skills would be impossible. The simple factor to get right is to provide a safe and fair track. It shouldn't be up to one Jockey to say "my horse slipped, sir", and then they all rush out and stand around looking for skid marks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Agent Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 38 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: Why Karaka Millions night wasn't called off for safety reasons should be questioned. Why didn't they inspect after each race at the last meeting when they knew there had been problems? The simple factor to get right is to provide a safe and fair track. It shouldn't be up to one Jockey to say "my horse slipped, sir", and then they all rush out and stand around looking for skid marks. I agree wholeheartedly with these comments which represent the crux of the problem. A fair and safe track should be provided at each and every race meeting, NO EXCEPTIONS. Why was Karaka Millions night not called off, and why was the track not inspected after each race at the last meeting? Because the Stipendiary Stewards WERE NOT doing their job due to too many outside influences. Likewise with jockeys telling the Stipes their mounts slipped in the running. If the Stipes did what they are paid to do they should be questioning the jockeys before they've weighed in as they would have ALREADY SEEN THE SLIPPING. The only reason trainers are being left out of any discussions on race day is because the Stipes do not want to hear the truth!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Fish Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 On 22/04/2024 at 5:34 PM, Chief Stipe said: I'll ask the question again who is the Sandman? lol, I think I might be of help! "The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes." and just like that we have a world class race track... sprinkle sprinkle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 (edited) "Despite rainfall in excess of 250 millimetres, or nearly 10 inches, during the week, Sunday's FWD Champions Day meeting came off without a hitch, as local horses took home the lion's share of the HK$72 million on offer. “They did an extraordinary job, with these types of weather conditions, the ground was extremely fair and it enabled all the horses to participate,” HKJC CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said of the track maintenance team. “Nobody could believe that with over 250mm of rain how well our track performed and provided fair going on which to compete." https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/ceo-praises-efforts-to-pull-off-champions-day/ Edited April 28 by curious 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 And Guerin thinks that 30mms on the day and 50mms for the week is an excuse for Ellerslie? Really? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted April 28 Author Share Posted April 28 1 hour ago, curious said: And Guerin thinks that 30mms on the day and 50mms for the week is an excuse for Ellerslie? Really? It's a nonsense. Especially when the CEO says it is essentially a synthetic track! Perhaps they should sow seed on the AWT's? That's basically what they have done at Ellerslie. My understanding of what a Strathayr is has been totally upturned. I didn't know the top layer was largely sand with a plastic mesh. What happens to that mesh with all the mechanical intervention? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said: It's a nonsense. Especially when the CEO says it is essentially a synthetic track! Perhaps they should sow seed on the AWT's? That's basically what they have done at Ellerslie. My understanding of what a Strathayr is has been totally upturned. I didn't know the top layer was largely sand with a plastic mesh. What happens to that mesh with all the mechanical intervention? I don't really see that aeration is likely to be a problem for the mesh. It seems usual for Strathayrs and Ellerslie may have done too little too late. It's just going to move the mesh around. What I don't understand is why you would add a whole heap more sand to what is already primarily a sand layer anyway. Can't see how that can help anything or anybody other than the sand suppliers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Fish Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 (edited) 23 hours ago, curious said: And Guerin thinks that 30mms on the day and 50mms for the week is an excuse for Ellerslie? Really? oh, does he think? thought that the likes of him are set on 'automatist Pollyanna' mode, any truth that he is a full brother to TAB Edited April 29 by Murray Fish spelling 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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