Hawkes Bay Carnival Day 2

[hesi]

Being of course held at Te Rapa.  Most of the fields look reasonable.  I note 8 acceptors from the CD and 1 from the South Island, but no horses from the Hawkes Bay itself.  Why is that? it is their race meeting

I did a quick check Hastings to Hamilton is 300km or 4 hrs, almost identical to the distance and time to Wellington.

[Huey]

3 hours ago, hesi said:

Being of course held at Te Rapa.  Most of the fields look reasonable.  I note 8 acceptors from the CD and 1 from the South Island, but no horses from the Hawkes Bay itself.  Why is that? it is their race meeting

I did a quick check Hastings to Hamilton is 300km or 4 hrs, almost identical to the distance and time to Wellington.

HB Guineas looks a bit light Hesi, but the Sprint and the G1 look good competitive races.

I'm picking a big day out for @Chief Stipe heroes seeing as its at Te Rapa , they are due.

[Freda]

4 hours ago, hesi said:

Being of course held at Te Rapa.  Most of the fields look reasonable.  I note 8 acceptors from the CD and 1 from the South Island, but no horses from the Hawkes Bay itself.  Why is that? it is their race meeting

I did a quick check Hastings to Hamilton is 300km or 4 hrs, almost identical to the distance and time to Wellington.

Maybe the lack of numbers of horses trained in HB is the reason?  I dont know, I have no knowledge of the area but it is odd.  You'd think one or two were worth the trip.

And if that is the case, then the grand plan to renovated the HB track and then charge ahead with a Greenfields option looks very silly indeed.  Sad though.

[hesi]

A quick check and be lucky if there are 50 horses in work, the only stables of note, John Bary, Patrick Campbell and Nelson/McDougal.  A handful more small operators.

Makes you wonder about the whole viability of racing down there. 

[hesi]

1 hour ago, Huey said:

HB Guineas looks a bit light Hesi, but the Sprint and the G1 look good competitive races.

I'm picking a big day out for @Chief Stipe heroes seeing as its at Te Rapa , they are due.

HB Guineas, 14 runners, top 3 are in the first 5 favourites for the 2,000 Guineas.

The Wotton Bassett gelding Quondo that was impressive on debut and heavily backed into $1.60 also lurking further down the field

[Bloke]

5 hours ago, hesi said:

A quick check and be lucky if there are 50 horses in work, the only stables of note, John Bary, Patrick Campbell and Nelson/McDougal.  A handful more small operators.

Makes you wonder about the whole viability of racing down there. 

If you had a horse that you want trained, why would you select a Hastings Trainer if the track is closed? The track closure would have had a huge impact.

Hasting is the right place for the Spring Classic because the weather is probably the best in the country.

[Chief Stipe]

21 minutes ago, Bloke said:

If you had a horse that you want trained, why would you select a Hastings Trainer if the track is closed? The track closure would have had a huge impact.

The track hasn't been closed to trackwork.  Some people have pushed that myth.  It has been closed to racing but NOT trackwork.

https://hawkesbayracing.co.nz/news/trackwork-23-september-2025

23 minutes ago, Bloke said:

Hasting is the right place for the Spring Classic because the weather is probably the best in the country.

Just as it is for late winter early spring training when compared to the rest of the Central Districts.  

[hesi]

I missed Lowry/Zydenbos, the predominant stable in the HB, plus a couple of smaller trainers such as Aaron Bidlake.

This would take the horses in training to over 100 as a guestimate

[Chief Stipe]

23 minutes ago, hesi said:

I missed Lowry/Zydenbos, the predominant stable in the HB, plus a couple of smaller trainers such as Aaron Bidlake.

This would take the horses in training to over 100 as a guestimate

Which is 100 more than Ellerslie or Trentham.  Potential to grow as well.  

[Bloke]

5 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

The track hasn't been closed to trackwork.  Some people have pushed that myth.  It has been closed to racing but NOT trackwork.

https://hawkesbayracing.co.nz/news/trackwork-23-september-2025

Just as it is for late winter early spring training when compared to the rest of the Central Districts.  

I stand corrected, I got the impression that they shut it down for all horse activity. It was 23 degrees today in Napier top temperature in the country as it is many times.

[curious]

6 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

The track hasn't been closed to trackwork.  Some people have pushed that myth.  It has been closed to racing but NOT trackwork.

The course proper has, hasn't it and for jumpouts, trials etc.?

Edited September 25 by curious

[Chief Stipe]

12 hours ago, Bloke said:

I stand corrected, I got the impression that they shut it down for all horse activity. It was 23 degrees today in Napier top temperature in the country as it is many times.

Same weather phenomena as Canterbury when the nor-westerlies are the dominant wind during the spring.  Some years much more than others.  This year looks like a dry spring/summer.  I hope Riccarton has its irrigation sorted!!

[Chief Stipe]

12 hours ago, curious said:

The course proper has, hasn't it and for jumpouts, trials etc.?

Waipukurau has picked up the slack.  So not all doom and gloom for Hawkes Bay Racing Trainers.  

Waipukurau Jump outs 23.09.25 Results publication.pdf

[curious]

19 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Waipukurau has picked up the slack.  So not all doom and gloom for Hawkes Bay Racing Trainers.  

Waipukurau Jump outs 23.09.25 Results publication.pdf 564.28 kB · 1 download

True but a couple of people with horses in work there that I was talking to are finding it a tad expensive.

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, curious said:

True but a couple of people with horses in work there that I was talking to are finding it a tad expensive.

Not Wightman by any chance?  He moans about everything.

Anyway according to you doom and gloomers it is expensive everywhere.  At least Hastings has a climate where you can train in the spring and good grass to agist on.

Also you are only 2hrs from Awapuni and Taupo, 2.5 has from Foxton, 3 hrs to Otaki and 3.5 hrs to Matamata and Te Rapa.

Even when the Hawkes Bay course was fully operational you had to travel.

Not to mention that you live in a very nice region not too dissimilar to Canterbury.

[hesi]

Craggy Range, Te Mata if you like wine

[Huey]

4 minutes ago, hesi said:

Craggy Range, Te Mata if you like wine

A close 2nd to the Marlborough region !

[hesi]

Marlborough is full of that insipid lolly water Sauvignon Blanc that is the darling wine of the nouveau riche here in Auckland.  The Chief's mates hahaha

[Chief Stipe]

23 minutes ago, hesi said:

Marlborough is full of that insipid lolly water Sauvignon Blanc that is the darling wine of the nouveau riche here in Auckland.  The Chief's mates hahaha

My mates drink Speights.  If they are stuck they'll drink a Pinot Gris or a full bodied red.

[Bloke]

11 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Not Wightman by any chance?  He moans about everything.

Anyway according to you doom and gloomers it is expensive everywhere.  At least Hastings has a climate where you can train in the spring and good grass to agist on.

Also you are only 2hrs from Awapuni and Taupo, 2.5 has from Foxton, 3 hrs to Otaki and 3.5 hrs to Matamata and Te Rapa.

Even when the Hawkes Bay course was fully operational you had to travel.

Not to mention that you live in a very nice region not too dissimilar to Canterbury.

Nowhere as many sheep and they are big supporters of Napier City Rovers. There is a beautiful cricket ground in central Napier, Nelson Park and they played their first cricket game of the season there last weekend. Where else in the country can they do that?