Cambridge Centenary Meeting v Te Aroha Grass Meeting

[Taku Umanga]

Is the club anticipating a lack of nominations for their well staked Centenary meeting on 11 January with the grass track meeting at Te Aroha being held the next day?

The programming conditions for Te Aroha would suggest so .....

4. RESTRICTED PROGRAMME: Owners and trainers please note that no more than ten races will be run at this meeting. If excess nominations are received, in consultation with trainers horses may then be required to transfer to a suitable race at the Waikato Bay of Plenty Harness meeting at Cambridge Raceway on the preceeding night race meeting on Fri, January 11, 2019.

[Happy Sunrise]

Restricted programmes are not that unusual I believe. Someone will know more than me about it.

Interesting they are looking to push horses to Waikato. 

I am not sure if it is a positive move or a desperate one. Haven't followed the trots up that way for ages.

What is your take on it Taku?

[Taku Umanga]

Traditionally at this time of year the grass tracks get better support from owners, trainers and punters and occasionally extra races have been created to cater for the nominations.

I think the club anticipates this to be the case again, but since the Friday is their centenary celebration they are understandably wanting to get as many horses there as possible.

With the low horse numbers in the North though, I don't think either meeting will have a full race card unfortunately.

 

[Happy Sunrise]

So more a positive move?

When you don't have the horse numbers it is hard to do much I imagine.

[Taku Umanga]

You're right though - if I had a grass tracker that was likely to get spanked at Cambridge Raceway I'd withdraw it rather than have it moved to make up the numbers.

[Taku Umanga]

115 for the centenary meeting (with noms left open) so far - more than I thought they'd get.

151 for the grass at Te Aroha ...... doesn't that let the club know what owners and trainers prefer!