Race field sizes? Cambridge?

[mikeynz]

Interesting 12 races I think on Friday, at Addington, why not same at Auckland and no Thursday.?

In regards to trying, I always thought drivers were suspended if they didn't give horses best chance of winning.

[the galah]

24 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

 

In regards to trying, I always thought drivers were suspended if they didn't give horses best chance of winning.

haven't you just used words to imply they mean the same,when they may not.

In other words ,"trying"  or not,is  often not the same as "didn't give horse best chance of winning".

you can be trying and at the same time get suspended for not giving the horse the best chance to win.That has happened quite a few times when the stipes have deemed drivers have overdone the speed or tactics used.

but when was the last time you heard of a driver getting suspended when they drove in a negative way.That type of driving is not policed the same. 

i haven't suggested either driver at cambridge should have been suspended,but if i was a stipe on the night i would have asked the question of k coppins as you have to let drivers know that theres an expectation that they give the impression they are trying to drive their horse on its merits.As i have said before,complacency by the stiipes leads to the things that start the likes of operation inca.Stipes in the north isalnd give the impression they treat some paticipants like they are mates or family.

Edited September 16 by the galah

[Nowornever]

Half the trick of backing a winner is knowing driver intent. Half the drivers just go round with the intention of "we will see how we go" 

Quite a few just follow the one in front until the home turn without even thinking about trying to steer their horse into a winning position. 

[mikeynz]

41 minutes ago, Nowornever said:

Half the trick of backing a winner is knowing driver intent. Half the drivers just go round with the intention of "we will see how we go" 

Quite a few just follow the one in front until the home turn without even thinking about trying to steer their horse into a winning position. 

I guess you can look at it another way, even if none are trying to win someone will, and if you backed it then who cares lol.

[mikeynz]

Cambridge are hosting a round of the World drivers Champs, based on numbers recently, they will need to up their numbers or it will be hopeless, ........I also note Manawatu have a Monday Thursday season opener on Cup Week, with all the attention on Cup Week may struggle for numbers too, why not the next week?...not that difficult.

Edited Wednesday at 12:36 AM by mikeynz

[Brodie]

9 hours ago, mikeynz said:

Cambridge are hosting a round of the World drivers Champs, based on numbers recently, they will need to up their numbers or it will be hopeless, ........I also note Manawatu have a Monday Thursday season opener on Cup Week, with all the attention on Cup Week may struggle for numbers too, why not the next week?...not that difficult.

It just doesn’t get any better for Cambridge in regards to field sizes!

54 carded starters over. 8 races is terrible and what is the future for  racing in Cambridge due to their perilous financial situation and that combined with Auckland, is the CEO of HRNZ still saying that things are positive?

[Spatchcock]

[Brodie]

Spatchcock, why are you not reporting info that you will be aware of?

You believe that Cambridge is doing Ok?

So why is the CEO of HRNZ being Santa Claus by throwing an extra $40k into the stakes for the World Driving Championship being held at Cambridge?

It is to pay horses down to last in the hope that it entices enough runners to compete on courses where trainers dont want their horses to compete at??

 

[Nowornever]

You having a go at Cambridge this week Brodie ? Enticing fields on display for you LOL

[mikeynz]

33 minutes ago, Nowornever said:

You having a go at Cambridge this week Brodie ? Enticing fields on display for you LOL

3 weeks or so until the World drivers series, does anyone believe it will pick up by then?

[Gammalite]

On 10/1/2025 at 8:09 PM, Brodie said:

It just doesn’t get any better for Cambridge in regards to field sizes!

54 carded starters over. 8 races is terrible and what is the future for  racing in Cambridge due to their perilous financial situation and that combined with Auckland, is the CEO of HRNZ still saying that things are positive?

You've got to start the Slow horse's somewhere Brodie. Don't you want these people to race ?  there's some really good folk starting their horses at Cambridge each week. 

Today our slow QLD  horses are going around at Marburg in 7 x 8 horse fields. No one is watching. No one is betting . We're all still celebrating the 2 Grand Final wins in the AFL and NRL to be Champions of the world .

Probably inspired by LEAP TO FAME. 😂( well not really) no one has heard of that horse as Trotting is SMALL FRY these days. No one begrudges them racing though. it's their Hobby.  just a few horses going around for the entertainment of their connections. 

Can't you just let your small fry participants run around once a week without all the hate for them ? It's just a hobby for them mate . You have the Big meeting each Friday night for millionaires and fast horses. 

WELL Done Cambridge !! (you should be saying) Putting on some racing for the few participants still going. 

Yep . All positive that the CEO puts races on for enthusiasts to pursue their livelihood or hobby. 

Good on ya New Zealand . Still having a go in tough times. Look after the small bloke Brodster. that's the spirit. 👍

 

 

[Nowornever]

10 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

Can't you just let your small fry participants run around once a week without all the hate for them ? It's just a hobby for them mate . You have the Big meeting each Friday night for millionaires and fast horses. 

Yes as long as the South Island meetings turnover are not used to keep propping them up.

[Brodie]

8 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

You've got to start the Slow horse's somewhere Brodie. Don't you want these people to race ?  there's some really good folk starting their horses at Cambridge each week. 

Today our slow QLD  horses are going around at Marburg in 7 x 8 horse fields. No one is watching. No one is betting . We're all still celebrating the 2 Grand Final wins in the AFL and NRL to be Champions of the world .

Probably inspired by LEAP TO FAME. 😂( well not really) no one has heard of that horse as Trotting is SMALL FRY these days. No one begrudges them racing though. it's their Hobby.  just a few horses going around for the entertainment of their connections. 

Can't you just let your small fry participants run around once a week without all the hate for them ? It's just a hobby for them mate . You have the Big meeting each Friday night for millionaires and fast horses. 

WELL Done Cambridge !! (you should be saying) Putting on some racing for the few participants still going. 

Yep . All positive that the CEO puts races on for enthusiasts to pursue their livelihood or hobby. 

Good on ya New Zealand . Still having a go in tough times. Look after the small bloke Brodster. that's the spirit. 👍

 

 

I think it is great that horses get to race throughout NZ!

The problem is that after the Entain money dries up they will not be racing for the stakes that they currently are!

HRNZ should not be blowing the money they currently are and have nothing to show for it!

They need to wake up and not try and pretend they are the heroes in keeping racing going with the stakes they are paying!

The truth if the matter us that racing is really not travelling well at all despite what Brad Steele tries to tell us!

 

[the galah]

15 hours ago, Gammalite said:

. 

Today our slow QLD  horses are going around at Marburg in 7 x 8 horse fields. No one is watching. No one is betting . We're all still celebrating the 2 Grand Final wins in the AFL and NRL to be Champions of the world .

 

i actually watched the first race at marburg. I actually think racing at marburg seems more competitive and everyone has a pre conceived plan of trying ,at least a bit more than they do at the likes of  albion park in my opnion..

so marburg is an ok look for the industry from a betting perspective.

but race 1 run yesterday wasn't.

i had a very small bet on the race and backed the favorite to win ,it was paying $2.80.

well they had a false start the first time as the 4 horse never looked like pacing away,then in the re start you could tell it would break,but it mangaed to get to the first bend before doing so,then unfortunately checked 4 of the other runners enough to make you think there was only 3 chances left. The favorite had taken the lead easily early. Well they had only gone 300m with the front 3 about 10 and 20 lengths in front of the 4th and 5th horses, when t mcmullen did what she sometimes does and hooked off the inside and attacked the favorite for the lead. Normally you would think well fair enough,but this time It seemed such a dumb move as she was on the outsider and was attacking the favorite when clearly her horse was being pushed to go faster than it could,so hey, you could tell it was gone as soon as she did that,but they still ran along very fast for about a round like that befiore she sent out the white flag and was stopping badly. Well because they had run along so fast,the field remained spread out and the favorite looked like it was going to win by the length of the straight the way it was travelling.

But then they called the race off with a round to go,because the number 4 horse had broken again when at the back,had been taken to the outside of the track by its driver with a gear issue and the mobile vehicle and starter crew vehicle decided to park up on the track while they gave that bloke a hand .The stewsrds saw this and decided to call the race off with a round to go. So if you looked at the video,you could see the horse that had the gear problem had gone on tis merry way well before the horses in the race got to where it had been,,but the starters assistants just stood next to their vehicle in the middle of the track nonchalontly walking back to the vehicle just before the race was called off. They didn't even try to get out of the way after the race was called off,just watching the field run past them,even though none of the horses in the race shied at it,maybe knowing the race had been called off ,thinking well whats the pointb of driving off as its a no race anyway.

it was all rather strange.i didn't bother to watch any more races from marburg after that,just changed channels again.

Edited 1 hour ago by the galah