Surface Water Again - Hastings Abandoned

[Chief Stipe]

MEETING NEWS

Hawke’s Bay Abandoned Today

 

After heavy overnight rain and surface water on the track the meeting at Hawke’s Bay has been abandoned- further information to follow.

[Chief Stipe]

Perhaps they could have had Pukekohe today or tomorrow.

The surface water issue is indicative of very poor drainage.  Lack of soil structure won't help.

Why don't we just have July off?  Or have a carnival month of jumps racing.  They don't mind ploughing through water.

[Freda]

Why don't we change the administration of the place, bring in Worth's Circus or the Ringling Bros for a bit of sense. 

Even better, Chief, you'll love this idea, a few FARMERS.

[Chief Stipe]

40 minutes ago, Freda said:

Even better, Chief, you'll love this idea, a few FARMERS

Farmers have had their time - that's why we have the problems.

[Special Agent]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

MEETING NEWS

Hawke’s Bay Abandoned Today

 

After heavy overnight rain and surface water on the track the meeting at Hawke’s Bay has been abandoned- further information to follow.

Monday??

[Doomed]

1 hour ago, Special Agent said:

Monday??

No, do them on Sunday. The more the merrier.

[Special Agent]

19 minutes ago, Doomed said:

No, do them on Sunday. The more the merrier.

LOL.  Exactly how bad is the surface water, and drainage?  There are no races tomorrow, Friday.

Are there any images out there?

[mikeynz]

Maybe they could shift Saturdays to Sundays , move the two abandoned to Saturday, shift Oamaru to October sometime.

If j was Oamaru I'd move just get rid of unwanted invaders of my day.

Edited July 17, 2024 by mikeynz

[Muzza]

3 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Farmers have had their time - that's why we have the problems.

Can you explain that statement.

[curious]

Where did you see that no replacement meeting was due to no jockeys CS? They've all got a day off otherwise tomorrow don't they?

[Chief Stipe]

6 hours ago, Muzza said:

Can you explain that statement.

Supposedly in times gone by Farmers were looking after all our race tracks.

Today the problems didn't happen overnight.  They are an outcome of a lack of investment in keeping tracks renovated in years gone by.

Those who were responsible were supposedly farmers.

Taking a scientific approach to the issue (ignoring the fact that many tracks presented in the past when managed by farmers would have been abandoned under today's rules) previous track managers (farmers) did the same thing that that era of farmers did.  They didn't look after the soil.

Today's farmers have worked that out hence they renovate paddocks on a four year cycle.  Assuming of course they want to intensely farm their land.

The people working on renovating our tracks now don't have enough money to do it property plus they buy into the misguided solution that sand will fix it.

[Chief Stipe]

16 minutes ago, curious said:

Where did you see that no replacement meeting was due to no jockeys CS? They've all got a day off otherwise tomorrow don't they?

I was taking the piss.  You must admit it's a complete FU.

[Doomed]

1 hour ago, curious said:

Where did you see that no replacement meeting was due to no jockeys CS? They've all got a day off otherwise tomorrow don't they?

Quite a few days off this week

[Doomed]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

Supposedly in times gone by Farmers were looking after all our race tracks.

Today the problems didn't happen overnight.  They are an outcome of a lack of investment in keeping tracks renovated in years gone by.

Those who were responsible were supposedly farmers.

Taking a scientific approach to the issue (ignoring the fact that many tracks presented in the past when managed by farmers would have been abandoned under today's rules) previous track managers (farmers) did the same thing that that era of farmers did.  They didn't look after the soil.

Today's farmers have worked that out hence they renovate paddocks on a four year cycle.  Assuming of course they want to intensely farm their land.

The people working on renovating our tracks now don't have enough money to do it property plus they buy into the misguided solution that sand will fix it.

I don't really recall farmers doing the track maintenance at Trentham, Ellerslie, Riccarton, HB etc.

[Chief Stipe]

42 minutes ago, Doomed said:

I don't really recall farmers doing the track maintenance at Trentham, Ellerslie, Riccarton, HB etc.

So where did they actually do track maintenance?  It's a myth.

[TAB For Ever]

Oh no...Hastings jumpouts planned for today are not going ahead !

But lucky 123 horses went around in Jumpouts at Levin on Tuesday !

Plenty of youngsters being educated !

 

[Freda]

17 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Supposedly in times gone by Farmers were looking after all our race tracks.

Today the problems didn't happen overnight.  They are an outcome of a lack of investment in keeping tracks renovated in years gone by.

Those who were responsible were supposedly farmers.

Taking a scientific approach to the issue (ignoring the fact that many tracks presented in the past when managed by farmers would have been abandoned under today's rules) previous track managers (farmers) did the same thing that that era of farmers did.  They didn't look after the soil.

Today's farmers have worked that out hence they renovate paddocks on a four year cycle.  Assuming of course they want to intensely farm their land.

The people working on renovating our tracks now don't have enough money to do it property plus they buy into the misguided solution that sand will fix it.

As pointed out by Curious when discussing this very topic....farmers - or good farmers - had access to, and practiced, the most up to date technology of the time.

Obviously, then, what was done fifty years ago is not, necessarily, what is considered best practice today.   But the same applies to track managers, sports field managers, golf course curators, etc., etc. as well.

Equally obviously, the practices that are employed at the moment are not fit for purpose.    

[Freda]

16 hours ago, Doomed said:

I don't really recall farmers doing the track maintenance at Trentham, Ellerslie, Riccarton, HB etc.

I can think of a couple off the top of my head - Pat Reardon at Riccarton, Gilbert Butterick at Ashburton, both farmers.  Obviously, not all were.  But many would have taken advice from farmers on the committees.

[curious]

And speaking of Hastings, it might be 10 years ago now but the chair at the time was Mick Ormond, a very successful Waipuk farmer I think. While frustrated with the club's financial situation and consequently the venue at the time, I don't recall that track having anything like its recent problems back then.

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, TAB For Ever said:

But lucky 123 horses went around in Jumpouts at Levin on Tuesday !

At a course your Messiah Messara didn't want.  Go figure.  Plus there is an AWT down the road struggling to get nominations for trials!

[Chief Stipe]

27 minutes ago, curious said:

And speaking of Hastings, it might be 10 years ago now but the chair at the time was Mick Ormond, a very successful Waipuk farmer I think. While frustrated with the club's financial situation and consequently the venue at the time, I don't recall that track having anything like its recent problems back then.

10 years ago the industry didn't have the same level of risk aversion.  That's not to say that the Hastings track didn't have problems 10 years ago.  It did.  The fact is the "farmers" of 10 to 20 years ago got the best out of the tracks but didn't put anything back in or plan for renovation.

[Chief Stipe]

47 minutes ago, Freda said:

Equally obviously, the practices that are employed at the moment are not fit for purpose.    

That's because they are tinkering rather than completely renovating.  They are also hamstrung by a lack of finance and past mistakes.  Overall poor long term planning.  

Plus as we close down perfectly good racecourses as per the Messara @TAB For Ever 's Messiah we have more meetings on fewer tracks and not options to spell tracks for renovation.  Basically no overall strategy.  But we have 3 AWT's that no one wants and I imagine no planning for the cash required in 10 years time to renovate them!!

[Chief Stipe]

17 hours ago, Doomed said:

I don't really recall farmers doing the track maintenance at Trentham, Ellerslie, Riccarton, HB etc.

Perhaps not Ellerslie.  But the other tracks had farmers on their committees.

[Chief Stipe]

MEETING NEWS

Hawke’s Bay Abandonment

 

The Hawke’s Bay meeting was abandoned yesterday at around 6.20am.

The track was inspected on Wednesday and found to be in safe condition for racing. The track was a Heavy10 prior to the 28mm of rain received.

Rainfall intensity exceeded forecasts with an inspection on Thursday morning showing surface water at varying parts of the track between the 1400m and 800m. Following this the meeting was abandoned for reasons of safety. There was some further rain predicted.

The meeting was unable to be re-scheduled for the following day (Friday) as it couldn’t be serviced by Entain NZ. With three CD meetings in four days  in the week starting Monday 22 July it has been decided not to reschedule. NZTR are open to dividing races at both Awapuni on Thursday and Otaki on Saturday. With potentially four jump races at Waverley it is unlikely that there will be divisions.

Any abandonment is frustrating for all participants and costly to the industry however horse and rider safety cannot be compromised. An early call did mitigate both disruption and costs to the Industry.

[Chief Stipe]

Just now, Chief Stipe said:

The meeting was unable to be re-scheduled for the following day (Friday) as it couldn’t be serviced by Entain NZ.

Why would that be?