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 2 hours ago by curious