Just shows you how screwed the Pattern is: Only five starters in the time honoured Wakefield Challenge Stakes!

[Chief Stipe]

Only 5 starters today in the time honoured Wakefield Challenge Stakes 2024.

Some very good two year olds have won this race in the past.

One of  them probably our best in Our Maizcay.

1978 Tang

1980  Glamour Bay

1981  Bound To Honour

1982  Romantic Bay

1993  Silver Chalice

1995  Our Maizcay

1998  Happyanunoit

2001  Vinaka

2002  Danroad

2003  Maroofity

2004  Kapsdan

2005  Wahid

2010  Jimmy Choux

 

[Huey]

Another Tasmania of racing,  all 5 by Aus based Sires as well. 

[Doomed]

Hasn't the race been moved around a lot in recent years? Never used to be a Manawatu race either.  Surely can't stay as group 2. Terrible field for $175,000. 2yo racing is so badly organised in the CD. Meanwhile the poor bloody South Island gets no 2yo racing for two months mid summer. 

Still, I suppose we must be doing well, stakes look ok. I suppose if you judge how well we are going based on stakes rather than the quality and quantity of fields, then things have never been better.

[Huey]

Arguably a better field at last Trentham meet.

[Murray Fish]

and only ONE male horse in... wow!

[Wingman]

Mid Eighties to 2015 raced in March at Trentham over 1200m and was always a natural lead in to the Manawatu Sires Produce. Since 2015 moved to December and distance reduced to 1100m and as one can plainly see , is now no longer a quality race 

[curious]

16 minutes ago, Wingman said:

Mid Eighties to 2015 raced in March at Trentham over 1200m and was always a natural lead in to the Manawatu Sires Produce. Since 2015 moved to December and distance reduced to 1100m and as one can plainly see , is now no longer a quality race 

Last year's winner did go on to win the 1000 guineas.

[Wingman]

That is a fine piece of rebuttal Curious. With that concession I do still think it is not the race it was. I have always liked the seasonal flow and consistency of time honoured races but to quote Mr Fish; 'SIGH' ,that is a thing of the past in the land of the long white cloud.

[Huey]

46 minutes ago, curious said:

Last year's winner did go on to win the 1000 guineas.

Which is debately also screwed.

[Doomed]

We effectively now seem to have split the 2yos and 3yos into two tiers each. Based on this year's results so far the better ones work through the traditional pattern and aim for Australian targets eventually, while those who are eligible for the sweepstakes and slot races take a different path and just aim to pick up a maiden race somewhere without having to travel far. Actually, they don't even need to pick up a maiden race really. Nothing to stop a slot holder starting a maiden in the kiwi thing.

Certainly a whole new world. Some people think it's wonderful so who am I to disagree.

[Murray Fish]

18 hours ago, Doomed said:

Certainly a whole new world

(wearing a punters hat!) hence: the needed to recalibrate and see what possible betting options their might be! 

Personally, my fav race on the AU/NZ calendar would now be The Everest, reason being!! 'we' get to see so much of all the horses in the build up to the race!  This year there was Massive coverage, if you wanted to find it! Sigh, now comparing how the nz 'marketers' of the nz race go about their business of propagating for the race?  Down this way Etain and ODT have been working hard, not to sure how much any of the bigger media players have nowadays for things racing!  as you have said, a whole new world!