Remember Easter Harness Racing…

[Newmarket]

I used to look forward to Easter Racing, Forbury used to race on the Thursday night …. Then get ready for Saturday Harness, so many memories mainly good, except the big smash in the 3yo race. Hands Down charging home in his Easter cup wins… Basil Dean going record time beating Sir Castleton….. while rest of the card had great races. 
 

Sadly, looking at Saturdays races does little to excite anyone…. still we have the memories.

Anyone else remember???

[Doomed]

I was there for Naval Officer's Derby. Easter Cup used to be a great race. Doesn't exist anymore. Day has certainly gone down hill. Riccarton used to race on the Monday.

[Brodie]

Was far better when they raced on the Saturday night.

People would go out in big numbers but doubt there will be too many out there, apart from the owners and participants on a Saturday arvo?

fields are very even and csn nit see anything worth having a crack at with what the current odds are.

Edited Thursday at 09:01 AM by Brodie

[mikeynz]

1 hour ago, Newmarket said:

I used to look forward to Easter Racing, Forbury used to race on the Thursday night …. Then get ready for Saturday Harness, so many memories mainly good, except the big smash in the 3yo race. Hands Down charging home in his Easter cup wins… Basil Dean going record time beating Sir Castleton….. while rest of the card had great races. 
 

Sadly, looking at Saturdays races does little to excite anyone…. still we have the memories.

Anyone else remember???

Forbury actually raced on the Saturday before shifting, Hawera raced Easter too, Easter Saturday was one of the few days races were on TV, it probably was only beaten  by cup day, times change.

[Newmarket]

20 minutes ago, Doomed said:

I was there for Naval Officer's Derby. Easter Cup used to be a great race. Doesn't exist anymore. Day has certainly gone down hill. Riccarton used to race on the Monday.

Yes, was there too, in the public stand around the centre, could really hear the shouting, carts splintering etc….

[Newmarket]

13 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

Forbury actually raced on the Saturday before shifting, Hawera raced Easter too, Easter Saturday was one of the few days races were on TV, it probably was only beaten  by cup day, times change.

That’s right, think they had last 6 races or so live and n TV. 

[mikeynz]

I stand to be corrected but I think they used to broadcast on radio the early scratchings for Easter Saturday at 10 o clock on Thursday night, always remembered the weather and track and scratching every Saturday at 8 16.

[the galah]

33 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

I stand to be corrected but I think they used to broadcast on radio the early scratchings for Easter Saturday at 10 o clock on Thursday night, always remembered the weather and track and scratching every Saturday at 8 16.

i remember ,as a kid.my father listening to the radio to hear the them read out the fields for the 2nd day at oamaru,i think it was maybe labour day,although may be wrong.

Anyway,at 10 o'clock on the radio station they read out the horses names in each race,in order of barrier draws.

thats when they had ballots.

Talking about radio coverage,personally i think one of the dumbest things,amopngst many,was the decision to discontinue having a racing show on the radio.if they wanted to cut cost,why didn't they just put the trackside coverage on and have someone making sure the races,whenevr they were from got played. and when no races on just play the interviews that they used to do.

ir was a bit like getting rid of free trackside tv.

As i've said before,people massively underestimated the number of people who used to watch racing,who put small bets on or didn't bet.

i remebr when trackside when pay to view,i had dozens of people telling me how they were disappointed they would no longer get to see trackside. Thse were people,often elderly or those with lower incomes,who watched racing. Mind you,back then there wasn't the wall to wall racing coverage and people followed racing because they genuinely liked to see those involved,and the pre race interviews.Most of those people had partners who they watched it with and families who would go around and visit and watch the races with them.. It wasn't until free to air trackside went,that i found out so many people knew the horses we had and fmade a point of following them,simply because they  knew us.And of course when they got rid of trackside you couldn't get a motel or hotel with it. I remember drivibng around dunedin with the wife,going to 6 different motels,thinking iwe would watch the friday nights races,but none of them had trackside coverage and just ended up just giving up on that.

so many of the reasons for the decline of racing have been short sighted own goals.

[Shad]

13 hours ago, Newmarket said:

Yes, was there too, in the public stand around the centre, could really hear the shouting, carts splintering etc….

Certainly a race to remember for all the wrong reasons, very  bad smash, one of the worst I've seen, the good ole days of trotting, Basil Dean one of my favourites, a golden era of trotters,to which I feel we'll never return to, the days of big crowds an atmosphere, oh the memories, the novelty of the night trots at Victoria Park in greymouth, the only venue on the coast with the lights, now just a barron piece of land, the open class trotting race alway drew a top field, memories never forgotten. 

 

[mikeynz]

12 hours ago, the galah said:

i remember ,as a kid.my father listening to the radio to hear the them read out the fields for the 2nd day at oamaru,i think it was maybe labour day,although may be wrong.

Anyway,at 10 o'clock on the radio station they read out the horses names in each race,in order of barrier draws.

thats when they had ballots.

Talking about radio coverage,personally i think one of the dumbest things,amopngst many,was the decision to discontinue having a racing show on the radio.if they wanted to cut cost,why didn't they just put the trackside coverage on and have someone making sure the races,whenevr they were from got played. and when no races on just play the interviews that they used to do.

ir was a bit like getting rid of free trackside tv.

As i've said before,people massively underestimated the number of people who used to watch racing,who put small bets on or didn't bet.

i remebr when trackside when pay to view,i had dozens of people telling me how they were disappointed they would no longer get to see trackside. Thse were people,often elderly or those with lower incomes,who watched racing. Mind you,back then there wasn't the wall to wall racing coverage and people followed racing because they genuinely liked to see those involved,and the pre race interviews.Most of those people had partners who they watched it with and families who would go around and visit and watch the races with them.. It wasn't until free to air trackside went,that i found out so many people knew the horses we had and fmade a point of following them,simply because they  knew us.And of course when they got rid of trackside you couldn't get a motel or hotel with it. I remember drivibng around dunedin with the wife,going to 6 different motels,thinking iwe would watch the friday nights races,but none of them had trackside coverage and just ended up just giving up on that.

so many of the reasons for the decline of racing have been short sighted own goals.

It would actually be interesting to know what the TV viewership is for racing, broken down to how many stream from the website, numbers watching through Sky and then since it's back on freeview.

The TAB/Enatain now own the Sports Nation frequencies, they do broadcast the Big Saturday on the radio and they do stream trackside radio on the app as well, no reason why they couldn't have more trackside on radio, better than having the endless run of reruns, it would be interesting to know what the listening numbers are for Sports Nation, more than likely small but at least they are catering to sports and racing fans, no one else is.

Radio still has its place.

Edited Thursday at 11:24 PM by mikeynz

[Rangatira]

16 hours ago, Brodie said:

Was far better when they raced on the Saturday night.

Before that back, when you were Bruce. Walking around with your radio perched on your shoulder asking for winners.

There was the Easter Cup, NZ Derby, Welcome Stakes etc Saturday day meetings. Really decent crowds.

How times have changed, most notably we are now relying on you for our winners.

[the galah]

2 hours ago, mikeynz said:

It would actually be interesting to know what the TV viewership is for racing, broken down to how many stream from the website, numbers watching through Sky and then since it's back on freeview.

The TAB/Enatain now own the Sports Nation frequencies, they do broadcast the Big Saturday on the radio and they do stream trackside radio on the app as well, no reason why they couldn't have more trackside on radio, better than having the endless run of reruns, it would be interesting to know what the listening numbers are for Sports Nation, more than likely small but at least they are catering to sports and racing fans, no one else is.

Radio still has its place.

The thing about all those changes,is once you lose your audience you won't get them back.

recognition of achievemnents from your peers,most of whom may not have been ardent racing fans,but were aware the sport you were participating in  was significant in nz culture,used to be a rewarding part of the package that was delivered when you had success.

everyone who used to get a win knew people they knew  or were related to, could have listened on the radio,read about it in the paper and seen it on free to air tv.

within a few years, a couple of decades ago,that all disappeared. Strangely often driven by tab leadership decisions whose  only focus seemed to be the bottom line. 

If your going to make decisions based on profit and loss,and a significant factor in that is turnover,then shouldn't you factor in what drives turnover..

I've used the example of pub tab's previously .Many of whom used to provide excellent service and coverage of racing.

The tab's decision to reduce the % of their take from turnover,was met with dismay and anger from pub tab operators around the country.Many media articles were written illustrating that.They felt they were just being taken for granted and expected to provide a service and pay wages while getting very little in return.

I can tell you,in the area where i lived ,when the melbourne cup and nz trotting cup were run in november,they were very big days at the two main tab's/pubs. The pubs really promoted them and the pub's were packed and the people dressed up and were still going home after midnight.

then,not only was media coverage and exposure in radio and tv and the print media being reduced,the tab cut the %,so the pub's ,i guess partly also as  a show of defiance simply put no resources into promoting those days. Within 2-3 years the numbers attending were reduced by 3/4 and people were home by 7p.m. and the gambling that used to go on for hours diminished.

but it wasn't just those days that it impacted,it also was eroding racing from the psyche of new zealanders.

I've always said,people badly underestimate the value of maintaining racing in the psyche of the nz public and they still do.But,hey,no one can ever put a definitive $ amount on that, so no one will ever be able to quantify the significance of it and thus no one implements policies that reverse something that they don't realsie is of such significance.

anyways,what i do know for sdure is if i have a bet and i'm somewhere,i know can't listen to it on the car radio as i drive,the wife puts it on her phone but its often freezing anyway. So really i  mostly don't bother betting until i get home.

and from my experirience of going to pub tab's in tha last year or so,those with a terminal have no one to serve you as they just seem occupied cleaning or gazing into space around the corner,so i gave up going there. They didn't even have the fields up for the nz meeting on their wall and a tv that only showed one race at a time from that nz meeting.

so i decided to use the local pub with the machine and wasn't sure about how to fill in one form so asked the lady behind the pub(i was the only one in the pub at that time),she said she didn't know but got her supervisor who said,don't ask me i don't gamble.

you know i went back into that pub tab for the first time last week to deposit some money in an account. It took about 3 minutes to deposit 4 notes as it kept rejecting a couple of the notes. eventually it accepted them.

The tab clearly have had no interest in providing good service for many years now and there vision is to get as many on line as possible.

Edited yesterday at 01:53 AM by the galah

[Gammalite]

One of the great Easter Cups of years gone by.

Reckon Ranga would of been all over this Trifecta ?  not a hard one to pick .

 

 

 

[Rangatira]

29 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

One of the great Easter Cups of years gone by.

Reckon Ranga would of been all over this Trifecta ?  not a hard one to pick .

 

 

 

Our Mana, Premiership, Hands Down

[Brodie]

3 hours ago, Rangatira said:

Before that back, when you were Bruce. Walking around with your radio perched on your shoulder asking for winners.

There was the Easter Cup, NZ Derby, Welcome Stakes etc Saturday day meetings. Really decent crowds.

How times have changed, most notably we are now relying on you for our winners.

That was Radio Ron with the radio to his ear! passed away a year or so ago.

Yeah Bruce wanted the money lol.

[mikeynz]

When I was working outdoors I was always listening to radio while working, if it wasn't trackside, it was probably cricket or rugby  or ZB  while out and about so I realize how handy and informative it is, I do think Sports Nation, owned by the TAB can do significantly better in it's on radio Racing coverage, even simulcasting off TV is fine, it's not everyone that can be sitting on their arsehole in front of TV, by being freely available(radio) it continually stays in your mindset,  plenty of people have busy jobs, not all day to play on smartphone but staying informed is important as one poster above stated, once you lose your audience, hard to get it back.

Edited 22 hours ago by mikeynz

[Rangatira]

1 hour ago, Brodie said:

That was Radio Ron with the radio to his ear! passed away a year or so ago.

Yeah Bruce wanted the money lol.

Two different people lol

Bruce always asked me my name. Although I never saw him eating one reckon he invested in a few Stevies Pies.

[Brodie]

5 minutes ago, Rangatira said:

Two different people lol

Bruce always asked me my name. Although I never saw him eating one reckon he invested in a few Stevies Pies.

Exactly Ranga.

Bruce didnt have a radio his ear, that was Radio Ron!

He wanted $2 for a punt! 
Have seen him still in ChCh, not that I associated with him!

 

[Newmarket]

2 hours ago, Rangatira said:

Two different people lol

Bruce always asked me my name. Although I never saw him eating one reckon he invested in a few Stevies Pies.

Yeah, I remember that guy. Larger build with a moustache….and obviously a little slow. 
Poor guy, always wanted to speak especially when you’re trying to get a bet on. Another guy was a postie, slim guy large nose, a bit weird. Mind you, probably thought same of my group…

We were always on a leaner below Lordship picture, usually a few skulls to get the day going…. always last to be hurried out door after last race…. the security guy was a top bloke

[Gammalite]

19 hours ago, Rangatira said:

There was the Easter Cup, NZ Derby, Welcome Stakes etc Saturday day meetings.

Probably safer that they run the Derby at night these days . 

Here's a Liquid Lightning Easter special from a while back . Richard Brosnan looks like he got out of it ok 

 

Harrison John who got 3rd in the last NZ Derby in December,  looks an absolute Special today Addington in race 8. (Probably gallop away from the stand start now I said that lol 😂 ) 

 

[mikeynz]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

Probably safer that they run the Derby at night these days . 

Here's a Liquid Lightning Easter special from a while back . Richard Brosnan looks like he got out of it ok 

 

Harrison John who got 3rd in the last NZ Derby in December,  looks an absolute Special today Addington in race 8. (Probably gallop away from the stand start now I said that lol 😂 ) 

 

In today's world they would abandon the race but should they, but I think the show goes on, that's Racing, things happen.

[Withadream2]

On 4/17/2025 at 7:43 PM, Newmarket said:

Sadly, looking at Saturdays races does little to excite anyone…. still we have the memories

Very poor programming to have a premier meeting without a premier race.  HRNZ needs to look at this & put at least a group 2 or better a group 1 on the night. Otherwise you might as well downgrade it to a normal meeting. That would be very sad. 

[mikeynz]

Invercargill next week has $50000 2yo trotters and a $100000 2yo race scheduled for next week, might get a dozen starters between races,if lucky and most likely most from if not all from Canterbury, then the 3yos final both for 60000, and the Country Cups for aged horses for 40000, once again another imbalance of funds for stakes, just goes on and on.

[Withadream2]

I would like to see the Messenger Stakes in Auckland moved to a week or two before the Becha Slot race then they could bring back the Easter Cup for $100k at Addington.  Since they have canned the aces finals there is plenty of money to re allocate

[mikeynz]

Interestingly today with trackside 1 being simulcast on radio, Addington miss out,  be the same on Boxing Day for Westport, and any other day where harness gets demoted to Trackside 2, they do have a streaming of races on app but it just chops anx changes from 1 and 2, it's not a good listen.