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 October 1 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 15 hours ago by the galah

[Gammalite]

1 hour ago, the galah said:

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.

Well it's a day for the slow horses that couldn't compete Albion Park and get anything.

I'm not surprised incidents happen like you describe. They're all in for a bit of a dig. They all seem to have a crack in QLD as they are cheap horses , and you can drive them with gusto and not damage them. (if against their own class) .

The McMullen girls do a fine job (like their brother Pete does at Albion). Taleah and Danielle Quinellaed the last race of day, and nearly had a look at taking that.  But got scared off by the 3rd horse of trainer John McMullens there in it , that ran 4th in the end. It had won it's last start at Redcliffe and here at Marburg last month . so missed out on the $25 Quinella unfortunately.  They (the McMullen sisters)  drive with the aptitude of Crystal Hackett and Monika Ranger there in the North of NZ. and so get lots of wins. and you get a run for your money everytime.  

Just looking at those horses Mr Galah , it is the reason I support these little meetings. John McMullen Knows everything about harness racing, done it all his life. his dad very famous winner for decades.  But he still has many horses like this , that can't go fast enough at Albion Park. They just go so darn fast these days. so the little Marburg (Cambridge type races ) for $4000 allows him to get wins.

he's a $40 per day trainer (not a $70 per day like Dunns and Telfers)  so needs 14k from each runner per year to return a profit for his owners. 

Done properly (with these little meetings) is easily achievable. we are 3/4 through year now. let's look at his 3 runners in the last race yesterday.  

race 7 Marburg 

the  winner  SPLASHNDASH picked up $2400 yesterday to go 23 starts- 3 wins- $16k for 2025 year.  a PROFIT  

2nd place B MAC C (NZ) $700 for 2nd to go 25 starts - 5 wins- $21k for 2025 (so far) a PROFIT

4th place TAYLORS FOUR up to 28 starts - 4 wins - $20k for 2025  so a PROFIT

so John places ALL his horses somewhere where the owners won't lose. He had one other runner in yesterday . It won and picked up $2400 as well.  That's Why MARBURG (and CAMBRIDGE this week)  are so important . Keeps People in the game , and NOT out of Pocket. 

All those horses racing at Cambridge this week are 'Paying their way ' so there's nothing wrong with that. Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan had 5 FFAers stacked up in the Group race last Friday . so was certain to win it. They have the Millionaire owners buying the best around (as Allstars have done for Years) so dominate the city racing.

So YES. Run Cambridge . give the small bloke a go. NowOrNever and Brodie are just being mean expecting those trainers /owners not to get any races to compete in, while the millionaires do. 

 

[the galah]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

Well it's a day for the slow horses that couldn't compete Albion Park and get anything.

I'm not surprised incidents happen like you describe. They're all in for a bit of a dig. They all seem to have a crack in QLD as they are cheap horses , and you can drive them with gusto and not damage them. (if against their own class) .

The McMullen girls do a fine job (like their brother Pete does at Albion). Taleah and Danielle Quinellaed the last race of day, and nearly had a look at taking that.  But got scared off by the 3rd horse of trainer John McMullens there in it , that ran 4th in the end. It had won it's last start at Redcliffe and here at Marburg last month . so missed out on the $25 Quinella unfortunately.  They (the McMullen sisters)  drive with the aptitude of Crystal Hackett and Monika Ranger there in the North of NZ. and so get lots of wins. and you get a run for your money everytime.  

Just looking at those horses Mr Galah , it is the reason I support these little meetings. John McMullen Knows everything about harness racing, done it all his life. his dad very famous winner for decades.  But he still has many horses like this , that can't go fast enough at Albion Park. They just go so darn fast these days. so the little Marburg (Cambridge type races ) for $4000 allows him to get wins.

he's a $40 per day trainer (not a $70 per day like Dunns and Telfers)  so needs 14k from each runner per year to return a profit for his owners. 

Done properly (with these little meetings) is easily achievable. we are 3/4 through year now. let's look at his 3 runners in the last race yesterday.  

race 7 Marburg 

the  winner  SPLASHNDASH picked up $2400 yesterday to go 23 starts- 3 wins- $16k for 2025 year.  a PROFIT  

2nd place B MAC C (NZ) $700 for 2nd to go 25 starts - 5 wins- $21k for 2025 (so far) a PROFIT

4th place TAYLORS FOUR up to 28 starts - 4 wins - $20k for 2025  so a PROFIT

so John places ALL his horses somewhere where the owners won't lose. He had one other runner in yesterday . It won and picked up $2400 as well.  That's Why MARBURG (and CAMBRIDGE this week)  are so important . Keeps People in the game , and NOT out of Pocket. 

All those horses racing at Cambridge this week are 'Paying their way ' so there's nothing wrong with that. Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan had 5 FFAers stacked up in the Group race last Friday . so was certain to win it. They have the Millionaire owners buying the best around (as Allstars have done for Years) so dominate the city racing.

So YES. Run Cambridge . give the small bloke a go. NowOrNever and Brodie are just being mean expecting those trainers /owners not to get any races to compete in, while the millionaires do. 

 

i personally think theres quite a difference between the cambridge and marburg.

marburg fields size is nearly always 8 or 9, whereas at cambridge you get mostly fields of 6.

5 of the 6 races at cambridge this week have only 6 runners starting. 

Field size is such a relevant indication of whether you have too much racing in particular areas. But HRNZ number crunchers just don't seem to have cottened on to that.

The cambridge horses are better but the marburg drivers are as good as the cambridge drivers and drive with more intent to obtain the best possible outcome.

Marburg i think is the best of the queensland product if judged on the intent of drivers and the lack of team driving you see.

but that first race at marburg was such a mickey mouse affair when you saw how the mobile and starters crew people handled the situation of the horse with gear issues.

i agree t mcmullen normally a good driver to follow at marburg,just her effort in the first race ,before they abandoned it,was below par.

Edited 12 hours ago by the galah

[Nowornever]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

NowOrNever and Brodie are just being mean expecting those trainers /owners not to get any races to compete in, while the millionaires do. 

NowOrNever and Brodie aren't being mean — they're being realistic. It’s not personal — it’s a pragmatic view about sustainability.

The fact is, races with 5–6 horse fields produce very low turnover and the races are run at a loss which in the end will damage the industry overall.

[mikeynz]

8 minutes ago, Nowornever said:

NowOrNever and Brodie aren't being mean — they're being realistic. It’s not personal — it’s a pragmatic view about sustainability.

The fact is, races with 5–6 horse fields produce very low turnover and the races are run at a loss which in the end will damage the industry overall.

Said it a million times, why 2 meetings up North every week, only need one at present, could easily run one maiden race for 15000, then another for 8 or 9 for the lesser lights, different ratings penaltys as well, it's not all doom and gloom, it just needs logical thinking, maybe they have to realise that Alexandra Park might need to miss the odd Friday for Cambridge, it's no big deal.

Even Southlands numbers ain't too flash but at least they ain't getting any more days, don't need them.

Edited 11 hours ago by mikeynz

[Nowornever]

1 hour ago, mikeynz said:

Said it a million times, why 2 meetings up North every week, only need one at present, could easily run one maiden race for 15000, then another for 8 or 9 for the lesser lights, different ratings penaltys as well, it's not all doom and gloom, it just needs logical thinking, maybe they have to realise that Alexandra Park might need to miss the odd Friday for Cambridge, it's no big deal.

Even Southlands numbers ain't too flash but at least they ain't getting any more days, don't need them.

I agree totally. Not many of these horses race both nights so it is a no brainer to combine them into one meeting a week. Trying to get two off the ground if the numbers reduce any further will be next to impossible

[mikeynz]

I was also surprised HRNZ wanted a meeting at Addington on the same night as the Friday twilight meeting that is at Cromwell, just for the Friday night lights programme, but the Cambridge extra dates is mind boggling, firstly moving to every available Tuesday, then they decided that Thursdays were better, ( and look how that's going) and then not that long ago they decide next winter to drop a few Thursdays and only have Alexandra Park on the Friday.

Then you go South, last year everything was Thursdays, this season where possible it's Sundays, what next , will they revert back to one Sunday Harness, maybe one Saturday ot what, they are all over the place.more and more is not best, quality over quantity, no different to other sporting codes, we don't need another 3 rounds of the NPC, Super Rugby don't need 19 weeks when about 13, same as NPC is suffice and we certainly don't need the overkill of 20 20 meaningless Cricket, enough is enough, our summer of Cricket is now fucked because of 20 20 rubbish impacting on our summer calandar.

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by mikeynz

[the galah]

the logic hrnz  use,is numbers are down so much up north, so lets  provide as many racing opportunities as they possibly can,that way those left competing can have access to racing where they are far more likely to earn a quid than they would be elsewhere,so that way they will maintain participation levels and stay where they are.Those north island people must know they are on to a good thing.long may it last they must say to themselves.  

its a bit like there not being many customers going to restaurants in a particular town,so lets open up some more ,that way the customers will have more choice and the compettiojn will keep the prices down,that way customer numbers will be maintained.  

then those outside the upper north island marvel at how irrelavant hrnz seem to view whether meetings run at  a profit or loss. Thats the thing  most can't quite understand.

but you have to give it to hrnz. They have stuck to their guns and i think have outstayed most of  the social media naysayers.After all,on this forum at least, people seem to have said to themselves ,well theres only so many times you can say something with enthusiasm before you realise hey,whats the point.Apathy i think is the word to descibe how many are feeling about the industry.

Edited 6 hours ago by the galah

[the galah]

i just had a look at the peter profit headlines.

one of his latest headlines was about the forbury money having to be retained for use in the southern region and it being a nightmare for mr steeles plans for auckland.

i don't have access to his stories,but the headlines are entertaining enough. Whereas he isn't always accurate on some stories,in the past hes been pretty accurate in his reporting about the auckland trotting club.

 

[mikeynz]

2 hours ago, the galah said:

i just had a look at the peter profit headlines.

one of his latest headlines was about the forbury money having to be retained for use in the southern region and it being a nightmare for mr steeles plans for auckland.

i don't have access to his stories,but the headlines are entertaining enough. Whereas he isn't always accurate on some stories,in the past hes been pretty accurate in his reporting about the auckland trotting club.

 

I actually had a laugh sometime about a comment our old friend from here TAB Forever made one day in regards to Forbury Park, and his words were about Forbury......frittered all their money away, now I know that in his strange perception of life anything out of Auckland don't matter but any money from Forbury would be the biggest insult to all Harness people in the South, many in the South don't give two hoots about Auckland, me included,  that money stays in the South, I'm not actually sure Forbury closing was entirely about money as such, there was also a desire to base more of the racing in the horse population areas, Southland, Canterbury, Alexandra  Park got themselves in this mess don't rely on the South to bail them out.

 

Might add the amount Forbury sold for is petty cash in relation to what Auckland are in it for, sort out their own mess.

Edited 3 hours ago by mikeynz

[Gammalite]

8 hours ago, Nowornever said:

NowOrNever and Brodie aren't being mean — they're being realistic. It’s not personal — it’s a pragmatic view about sustainability.

The fact is, races with 5–6 horse fields produce very low turnover and the races are run at a loss which in the end will damage the industry overall.

Well it's sustainable if they run for less money. 

The races are worth $8000 each this week . just make them go 4 or 5 thousand them if you're short of money. surely you (HRNZ)  can come up with $45,000 to pay a whole race meeting anyway ? Tasmania can even do that lol 🤣.  that's just 2 Dunn horses training fees for the whole year lol.   shouldn't damage too much 😉😎

Thought you had funding from Entain?  . We do/are in Queensland. and can run 6 meetings a week for 450 horses in race training. Sponsored by Ladbrokes. (a subsidiary of Entain ) every horse gets a go.

Just send the lower class horses around for less bucks then ?.  

Mind you , you blokes had Leap To Fame and Don Hugo compete at Cambridge this year and still didn't get excited. I can understand that in a way, as is better for NZ harness if a local can Win your feature races.  But still they got to run the best 2 horses in the Southern Hemisphere there , so must be doing something right.

and you still want it shut down . because the races have no third dividend ? what a Poor reason. take a trifecta then? . you need 3rd for that and trifecta's are paying well there still. Change your ways and support the sport.

I guess it's like bashing my head into a wall like , trying to get Collingwood supporters to support Carlton. 😂😎

Never mind . I hope CAMBRIDGE continue to race for years to come , after 100 years of fine trotting tradition. That means nothing to you guys because there's no 3rd dividend 😅🤣  and is Not in the bloody South Island . 😂 go play marbles then.