Race field sizes? Cambridge?

[mikeynz]

Gamma they have amateur races, races with junior drivers concessions, no reason why races for trainers with less than 10 wins 5 wins, none in 6 months, anythings possible.

[the galah]

11 hours ago, Gammalite said:

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 😉😎

 

i agree.

if they adjusted stake money to reflect the small fields at the likes of cambridge and in those 2 yer old races throughtout nz,then people would just accept them for what you say they are and not moan much.I suggested they do that a while ago.

all they have to do is adjust the penalty rating points to reflectthe stake levels.

it seems a very simple solution but hrnz have shown they currently aren't into factoring profit /loss to the industry as a whole..

 

Edited Tuesday at 09:46 PM by the galah

[the galah]

19 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 see mr wood,the man who should have the inside word on cambridge, being a cambridge man,has again on the other channel made comment about things to come out soon. Not that long ago he was hinting at the financial situation of the club being very poor and what may happen as a result to the running of the cambridge club..

When they ran those grins races they told us how great it was for the industry and the club.Adding  significant more debt onto their already large pile of debt,so what,they had a good night out and the aussies took home the cash to aussie. 

 But hey,those grins races are great for the industry(so they tell us),so the smart people keep telling us. I wonder what their derinition of smart is..

To the people the harness media always  tell us are so smart ,debt is just a word. A word can't hurt you,and if it does,take a job elsewhere.

besides,i'm sure mr steele is saddling up his horse, money bags again,right as this moment.Just in case he has to ride into the cambridge area and save the day with a bit more HRNZ cash while en route to another auckland meeting.  

Edited yesterday at 02:41 AM by the galah

[the galah]

19 minutes ago, the galah said:

i see mr wood,the man who should have the inside word on cambridge, being a cambridge man,has again on the other channel made comment about things to come out soon. Not that long ago he was hinting at the financial situation of the club being very poor and what may happen as a result to the running of the cambridge club..

When they ran those grins races they told us how great it was for the industry and the club.Adding  significant more debt onto their already large pile of debt,so what,they had a good night out and the aussies took home the cash to aussie. 

 But hey,those grins races are great for the industry(so they tell us),so the smart people keep telling us. I wonder what their derinition of smart is..

To the people the harness media always  tell us are so smart ,debt is just a word. A word can't hurt you,and if it does,take a job elsewhere.

besides,i'm sure mr steele is saddling up his horse, money bags again,right as this moment.Just in case he has to ride into the cambridge area and save the day with a bit more HRNZ cash while en route to another auckland meeting.  

won't cambridge lose a significant income source next year when the greyhound come to an end .

anyone got any good news about cambridge ?

.Maybe the time is approaching, when  a press release from mr steele telling us how every thing is looking positive,is needed again. 

Edited yesterday at 02:56 AM by the galah

[mikeynz]

Just now, the galah said:

won't cambridge lose a significnat income source next year when the greyhound come to an end .

anyone got any good news about cambridge .Maybe the time is approaching, when  a press release from mr steele telling us how every thing is looking positive.

Anyone got any good news about Cambridge?.........probably to the average person who lives there it's probably got everything you need, but like Auckland it's got a Harness Racing complex that might be on its last legs😵‍💫

[the galah]

26 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

Anyone got any good news about Cambridge?.........probably to the average person who lives there it's probably got everything you need, but like Auckland it's got a Harness Racing complex that might be on its last legs😵‍💫

cambridge appears to be a club that ignored the finanical stress it was under and decided a good strategy was spend more on projects that would add to their financial stress.,e.g. on the grins. And who could blame them. All the media and hrnz said how clever they were. 

The cambridge thing,whatever its level of financial issues, appears  just aother example of why the average  south island harness follower thinks some of those that administer harness racing and the harness media ,treat them like they haven't got a brain. 

Edited yesterday at 03:26 AM by the galah

[Brodie]

Anyone know where we are with the Franklin sale currently?

Do we know whether it looks like a goer bearing in mind it is costing them an absolute packet in interest monthly?

Reality is that Auckland and Cambridge both now appear to be cot cases from what I am hearing, and their future is looking decidedly bleak on the face of it!

[the galah]

2 hours ago, Brodie said:

Anyone know where we are with the Franklin sale currently?

Do we know whether it looks like a goer bearing in mind it is costing them an absolute packet in interest monthly?

Reality is that Auckland and Cambridge both now appear to be cot cases from what I am hearing, and their future is looking decidedly bleak on the face of it!

i think part of the reason  many in the south island have a negative view of northern harness racing is because they see the support hrnz is giving them,knowing hrnz is doing nothing to tell them they are going to need to operate in a way that doesn't drain the overall industries(especially the south islands)future  financial resources.

i personally think ,because hrnz is so away with the fairies,auckland and cambridge,instead of facing reality and looking for solutions,instead are looking for handouts.

in other words,all that is happening is hrnz are bailing them out until hrnz themselves will have financial issues in maintaining stake levels everywhere.

so theres no doubt those clubs have huge issues,but they don't need to spell the end of the clubs,quite the contrary.they still are asset rich,for the moment.

they should be using their current crisis to restructure and come up with a plan for a sustainable future.But they aren't because hrnz is allowing them to continue to operate irresponsibly.it can be done if they had to.

as you've said many times brodie,what business would ever allow itself to be run in the way hrnz is running things currently.Thats where i think the main problem is.

Edited 23 hours ago by the galah

[Gammalite]

On 10/8/2025 at 7:18 AM, mikeynz said:

Gamma they have amateur races, races with junior drivers concessions, no reason why races for trainers with less than 10 wins 5 wins, none in 6 months, anythings possible.

that sounds a great idea. And I see they do run some Amateur drivers races still (North and South) although even then the forums pick the standard of driving to bits then , and is still Not a betting product for them. So a non-win situation still in the end. 

 

17 hours ago, the galah said:

i personally think ,because hrnz is so away with the fairies,auckland and cambridge,instead of facing reality and looking for solutions,instead are looking for handouts.

HRNZ is the parent company. Parents try to look after their children. It's their job. they don't Care whether it's the North or the South. 

The HRNZ have computers you know ? and professional staff ? who assemble fields , and allocate the prizemoney (that is available for a WHOLE Season at a time)  and try and look after All participants . They are a NATIONAL body. It's done by computer. you complaining blokes don't know better than a computer i'm sorry. 

I thought the Participants funding themselves in Slot races would be the answer (Millionaires) as seemed a way for the BEST horses of the 2 nations/or states  to compete togeather for BIG Money 💰. and not break the annual funding budget . But i'm Wrong. The Slot race EUREKA run at Menangle last Month was a complete Joke for various reasons. and I've changed my mind . They are Not the answer. they only favour 'some'. too few in my opinion now. 

HRNZ will continue to find answers though. ( How to get the BEST horses competing in Great racing ) as well as supporting the 'Everyday trainer' Like today at CAMBRIDGE  throughout the year. They do a great job of this and you Can't see it for some reason. Great racing all year round in NZ . ( as opposed to silly QLD with just one month of the BIG dollar racing , that is good to bet on ) and 11 months of the 'Everyday trainer' helping them races , that aren't worth betting on ) 

If you guys knew how Lucky you really are to have great racing like Tomorrow night , instead of whinging about it (and ratings ,  and HRNZ, and this and that all the time , you could enjoy yourselves more. 😉👍

Crying poor in the South Island is understandable I spose as you blokes still run so many horses,  that only a few are returning a profit for their connections. All the North Island Stables are nearly all returning a profit currently. exactly what the sport needs to keep going. 

and HRNZ are not in charge of turnover?. This is up to the Betting Companies to have methods of attracting a punters' dollars. Personally I think it is a product that VERY FEW wins off.   ( just the few at pundits at BOAY can ,  that have actually got some inside and accumalated knowledge about the sport) . Most others LOSE. so it doesn't worry me it's not a great betting product. No places in Aus have a Harness Betting product worth investing on these days either. The REAL PUNTERS are at the gallops or the Football . 

[the galah]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

that sounds a great idea. And I see they do run some Amateur drivers races still (North and South) although even then the forums pick the standard of driving to bits then , and is still Not a betting product for them. So a non-win situation still in the end. 

 

HRNZ is the parent company. Parents try to look after their children. It's their job. they don't Care whether it's the North or the South. 

The HRNZ have computers you know ? and professional staff ? who assemble fields , and allocate the prizemoney (that is available for a WHOLE Season at a time)  and try and look after All participants . They are a NATIONAL body. It's done by computer. you complaining blokes don't know better than a computer i'm sorry. 

I thought the Participants funding themselves in Slot races would be the answer (Millionaires) as seemed a way for the BEST horses of the 2 nations/or states  to compete togeather for BIG Money 💰. and not break the annual funding budget . But i'm Wrong. The Slot race EUREKA run at Menangle last Month was a complete Joke for various reasons. and I've changed my mind . They are Not the answer. they only favour 'some'. too few in my opinion now. 

HRNZ will continue to find answers though. ( How to get the BEST horses competing in Great racing ) as well as supporting the 'Everyday trainer' Like today at CAMBRIDGE  throughout the year. They do a great job of this and you Can't see it for some reason. Great racing all year round in NZ . ( as opposed to silly QLD with just one month of the BIG dollar racing , that is good to bet on ) and 11 months of the 'Everyday trainer' helping them races , that aren't worth betting on ) 

If you guys knew how Lucky you really are to have great racing like Tomorrow night , instead of whinging about it (and ratings ,  and HRNZ, and this and that all the time , you could enjoy yourselves more. 😉👍

Crying poor in the South Island is understandable I spose as you blokes still run so many horses,  that only a few are returning a profit for their connections. All the North Island Stables are nearly all returning a profit currently. exactly what the sport needs to keep going. 

and HRNZ are not in charge of turnover?. This is up to the Betting Companies to have methods of attracting a punters' dollars. Personally I think it is a product that VERY FEW wins off.   ( just the few at pundits at BOAY can ,  that have actually got some inside and accumalated knowledge about the sport) . Most others LOSE. so it doesn't worry me it's not a great betting product. No places in Aus have a Harness Betting product worth investing on these days either. The REAL PUNTERS are at the gallops or the Football . 

the  slot races were an example of cambridge adding on substanial  debt,when it already had substanial debt which it was struggling with..

Thatt not smart,its dumb,irrespective of where the club is situated.

your argument seems to be based around where the clubs are located.Thats seems to be the way hrnz view it as well.

Our argument is about finances,not where the club is located.

finances is a basic. Hrnz should not have lower acceptable standards of finacial management based on where a club is located.But they do.Thats always been the main point.

Edited 4 hours ago by the galah

[Gammalite]

3 minutes ago, the galah said:

the  slot races were an example of cambridge adding on substanial  debt,when it already had substanial debt which it was struggling with..

Thatt not smart,its dumb,irrespective of where the club is situated.

your argument seems to be based around where the clubs are located.Thats seems to be the way hrnz view it as well.

Our argument is about finances,not where the club is located.

yes . I can see you have a similar problem to Aus in keeping the 'location' clubs going.

Victoria harness racing is in Massive debt because they keep All the areas open ( and no one bets on them much) so the NZ situation is not unique. Nor is recent . Hutt Park closed yonks ago for example.

You have lost a lot of your old trainers ( as we did in QLD when Cairns, Townsville , Tweed/Gold Coast all closed ) over  the years. not financially viable to keep them functioning with the operating costs.

So they're GONE FOREVER from those Locations 😢. like you lost Hutt and Forbury Park and New Plymouth and therefore several trainers from those areas .  

Cambridge has kept some of your very last Central districts trainers going Dickson and Doody that are 2 left still getting a Cambridge winner . Berger now retired. and the hard working lasses of some like ( Chilcott and Donnelly and their great staff) are doing a wonderful job and getting winners still. They even try at Auckland occasionally,  but it's too hard most of the time , against those expensive horses of Telfers, greens and Stockmans. 

It is all about LOCATION . yes. Tiz why QLD run Marburg ( and Redcliffe every week) all the slow horses get a go still

Those stables (like Doody, Gillies, Teaz etc)  are mini 'Businesses you know? they need somewhere to conduct their business . without flattening their runners against the BIG boys like Mikey thinks is the answer. 

best of luck to todays Cambridge Competitors. (still racing against the odds 🤣)