Chief Stipe Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 I don't get it. The majority of the horse population is now resident in the northern half of the north island yet there are only three turf track trial days scheduled between now and the end of August! Te Rapa August 6 Avondale August 13 (good enough to trial on but not race on!) Te Awamutu 27 August There was a trial day at Te Awamutu on 4 July but nothing for 4 weeks other than the AWT at Cambridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 And that's for horses leading into the main spring grass racing period! It is nonsensical. But you should be thankful, The SI has one grass trial meeting, Ashburton on 13/08, through the end of August, and one in September, Ashburton again, 17/09. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Fish Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 needing the Trainers Assoc to gallop in and advise! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 We MAY have grass jumpouts at Rangiora, that was the plan and to the best of my knowledge repairs to the set of gates the locals were able to source is still in progress. At least jumpouts on the course proper is better than nothing, even if trials out there are not forthcoming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 17 minutes ago, Freda said: We MAY have grass jumpouts at Rangiora, that was the plan and to the best of my knowledge repairs to the set of gates the locals were able to source is still in progress. At least jumpouts on the course proper is better than nothing, even if trials out there are not forthcoming. As of the June 10 Rangiora Racecourse Track-Users Meeting: Gates have been fully commissioned and are now being readied for painting. That is primarily an initiative of North Canterbury trainers who will do most of the further work to make them happen. That's fine, but there are no trials scheduled south of Ashburton for the next 3 months and I note that the trials schedule for Cambridge tomorrow have been cancelled again due to lack of entries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 Yeah I bet if you asked nicely they'd put an AWT trial day on tomorrow!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doomed Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 5 hours ago, curious said: As of the June 10 Rangiora Racecourse Track-Users Meeting: Gates have been fully commissioned and are now being readied for painting. That is primarily an initiative of North Canterbury trainers who will do most of the further work to make them happen. That's fine, but there are no trials scheduled south of Ashburton for the next 3 months and I note that the trials schedule for Cambridge tomorrow have been cancelled again due to lack of entries. Remembering back quite a few years didn't there used to be a Sth Canty trials assoc, or something similar, who used to run regular trials at Timaru, Waimate and Orari? Perhaps they felt unappreciated and gave up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 The Doncaster Turf Club. They ran trials at Ashburton as well. Then Ashburton decided to run theirs themselves- badly needing the extra income- and with the decommission of Orari and Waimate there wasn't much point carrying on. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 1 hour ago, Freda said: The Doncaster Turf Club. They ran trials at Ashburton as well. Then Ashburton decided to run theirs themselves- badly needing the extra income- and with the decommission of Orari and Waimate there wasn't much point carrying on. DTC still registered with about 60k in the bank. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Interesting. The Ashburton administration has evolved somewhat since those days but I believe trials are still seen as a valuable source of income - given that as far as I am aware, they receive little or no remuneration from any outside sources. But there has be a balancing act between that and the preservation of their course proper for racedays. I've learnt to exist with the status quo, looking back only makes me - and others - frustrated and angry. Not good as a lifestyle choice, and clearly no one at head office is going to take a blind bit of notice. I recall when there was a meeting at Riccarton involving representatives of Canterbury clubs [ before Winston rode in on his white horse waving buckets of public money ] to discuss the merits of installing a polytrack at Riccarton. As can be imagined, there was a robust and lengthy discussion. Eventually Kevin Hughes, then a committee member, turned around to the rows behind him in the middle of a passionate promotion by the CEO. For God's sake, he said, in a stage whisper, there isn't the money, it'll never happen, just put your hands up and agree then he'll shut up and we can all go home. But one point was strongly made by Tim Mills, that to justify the cost of putting one in, race dates would have to be transferred from other clubs to promote the poly. It shouldn't, then, be any surprise that that is exactly what has happened. Also, Interestingly, some of the most passionate proponents of that same facility are now the most vocal about the lack of grass opportunities. We have all heard that saying 'be careful what you wish for, you might get it'. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 Well not exactly the Waikato but at least on grass turf. MEETING NEWS Avondale trials Tuesday 16 July & Cambridge Synthetic trials now Tuesday 23 July The previously advertised Cambridge Trials have been replaced by a set of trials at Avondale next Tuesday 16 July. The Cambridge Synthetic trials will be pushed out a week and will run on Tuesday 23 July. The trials at Avondale will be restricted to a maximum of 180 entries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 The much despised Avondale, eh. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Fish Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 28 minutes ago, curious said: The much despised Avondale, eh. They were personally helpful to me when I was there 7 years ago... a feed in the presidents room and free roaming around the course! They being Vince M 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 47 minutes ago, curious said: The much despised Avondale, eh. Interesting. 89 horses going around tomorrow on the Cambridge Synthetic for a race meeting. Yet Avondale can't have a race meeting yet can have 180 horses going around. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 13 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: Interesting. 89 horses going around tomorrow on the Cambridge Synthetic for a race meeting. Yet Avondale can't have a race meeting yet can have 180 horses going around. Only 83 noms for Trentham by way of comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 How many spectators will be at Cambridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 17 minutes ago, curious said: Only 83 noms for Trentham by way of comparison. Jumps meeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doomed Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 1 hour ago, curious said: Only 83 noms for Trentham by way of comparison. I don't think I have ever seen anything like this Trentham meeting. 5 noms for each of the open flat races and truck loads of noms for most of the jumps races. Four races for flat jockeys with tiny fields. Flat jockeys will mostly get one or two mounts each at best. Is it worth travelling for that? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAB For Ever Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said: Jumps meeting. The Iconic Whyte Handicap......5 x noms ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAB For Ever Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 3 hours ago, Murray Fish said: They were personally helpful to me when I was there 7 years ago... a feed in the presidents room and free roaming around the course! They being Vince M Vince M didn't last long there after that ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAB For Ever Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said: Interesting. 89 horses going around tomorrow on the Cambridge Synthetic for a race meeting. Yet Avondale can't have a race meeting yet can have 180 horses going around. I doubt Avondale would meet any 'minimum standards ' to hold a race meeting . The quicker it wound up the better...if any $$$$ goes to racing build a decent Waikato Greenfields complex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Fish Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 12 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said: Vince M didn't last long there after that ! He should have followed my council then! ps, I did take a couple of interesting photos of him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Fish Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 16 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said: Whyte Handicap Always Summer was a kind re$ult for me! winning it twice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Murray Fish said: Always Summer was a kind re$ult for me! winning it twice! And in 1961, my nemesis on another site, Nerula, won it and the Paliamentary and the Winter Oats. Now it's a 40k race with 5 noms. What the hell happened? Dunray won the Wellington Steeplechase that year. Edited July 9 by curious 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 44 minutes ago, TAB For Ever said: I doubt Avondale would meet any 'minimum standards ' to hold a race meeting . The quicker it wound up the better...if any $$$$ goes to racing build a decent Waikato Greenfields complex. Avondale is good enough to run 180 horses around. Whereas Ellersle spend $55m and can't provide a safe surface on the KM or Grp 1 days let one run a trial. Go figure. Now you're saying we need to spend more money and build a Greenfields site. We'll wasn't Ellerslie essentially that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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