Slot race Cambridge.

[the galah]

3 minutes ago, Noodlum said:

In this Topic it seems to be all anyone is talking about.

thats like saying

 if you think your wife should not be spending $500 on a dress because you can't afford to spend that much,your saying the argument is about the quality of the dress,not whether she can afford the dress.

 

[Noodlum]

5 minutes ago, the galah said:

this site is made up of perople who's interest in harness racing is gambling and grass roots racing.

i'm sure if you asked the average person who follows harness racing,you would realsie they currently have more interest in the non win trot race at reeftion tomorrow than any slot race.

So these "grass roots people" are not trying to get a Slot worthy horse?

The marketing isn't directly aimed at the the non-win trot race at Reefton tomorrow.  All those $1 each way betters are already captured.  

[Noodlum]

4 minutes ago, the galah said:

thats like saying

 if you think your wife should not be spending $500 on a dress because you can't afford to spend that much,your saying the argument is about the quality of the dress,not whether she can afford the dress.

 

My wife would rather spend the $500 on picking the winner of the Slot Trot!  Or save the money until her horse is in a race worthy of a $500 dress!

[the galah]

3 minutes ago, Noodlum said:

So these "grass roots people" are not trying to get a Slot worthy horse?

The marketing isn't directly aimed at the the non-win trot race at Reefton tomorrow.  All those $1 each way betters are already captured.  

I don't get what that has to do with all the threads that are on this site regarding whether hrnz should be investing so heavily on a slot race.

also.are you serious  when you say you think a 7 horse ,one off slot trot race dominated by a $1.30 favorite is somehow going to capture the publics or the betting publics imagination.Maybe you do think that.Personally i think your dreaming if you do.

[Noodlum]

1 minute ago, the galah said:

also.are you serious  when you say you think a 7 horse ,one off slot trot race dominated by a $1.30 favorite is somehow going to capture the publics or the betting publics imagination.Maybe you do think that.Personally i think your dreaming if you do.

Yes I am serious.

$1.30 is a good punters price!  If it isn't then there must be better chances in the field!  What you are missing is the promotion around the race.  Harness Racing has lacked marketing expenditure for a very long time.  

[Gammalite]

1 hour ago, pete cook said:

Fine, let the big spending owners have their fun with slot races. Just don't understand or support why the other industry participants who haven't the same resources, or horses, should be disadvantaged financially to subsidize them.

The Slot races are hugely funded by the Participants.  they buy the slots. The Eureka is with over a Million dollars because of this , and is not considered a disgrace or 'Reckless to the sport.

It enables ANYBODY to get involved in a Slot and get involved . we have started a popular 2 yearold one for $1/2 million in Brisbane past 2 years. It's not considered a Waste of funding lol. that's a BOAY thing lol.

Reefton Maiden trot more popular ?? according to Galah. that's just head scratching . 

Don't run features anymore ?  your SPORT would collapse and Die . That's why we run features. to attract people with money to still have a Go. Brodie's a miser . he wouldn't buy a yearling lol 😁😉

 

KEAYANG Zahara is owned by a Syndicate of regular people out in the Bush , not big spending owners at all . Just people having fun with their sport.

Australia's feature SLOT race saw ENCIPHER win , and Defeat LEAP To Fame , for a syndicate of regular South Australia Folk 

[Chief Stipe]

3 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

Don't run features anymore ?  your SPORT would collapse and Die . That's why we run features. to attract people with money to still have a Go. Brodie's a miser . he wouldn't buy a yearling lol 😁😉

 

KEAYANG Zahara is owned by a Syndicate of regular people out in the Bush , not big spending owners at all . Just people having fun with their sport.

Just like the group that have shares in La Dorada running in the $4m KiwiB.  That group have excited thousands.

[Noodlum]

7 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

KEAYANG Zahara

I'd love to be oncourse to see that trotter!  Once in a lifetime horse.  I'll be entering every competition I can to get there!  I've put funding of the wife's dress account on hold.

[the galah]

1 minute ago, Noodlum said:

Yes I am serious.

$1.30 is a good punters price!  If it isn't then there must be better chances in the field!  What you are missing is the promotion around the race.  Harness Racing has lacked marketing expenditure for a very long time.  

thats like saying having a million $ nz cup is more worthy of promoting than a half million $ nz cup.

or a million $ slot race is more worthy of marketing than a half million $ slot race.

thats the exact type of thinking that comes out of HRNZ.

In fact i once had a bloke tell me how he had spoken to mr steele and mr steele said exactly that.

If mr steele is right and all those high end races and marketing of high end races is the way to go,then where's the indicators its working.There aren't any because it doesn't work.

This isn't the australian galloping industry,this is the nz harness industry we are discussing.

[Noodlum]

5 minutes ago, the galah said:

thats like saying having a million $ nz cup is more worthy of promoting than a half million $ nz cup.

or a million $ slot race is more worthy of marketing than a half million $ slot race.

It's not saying that at all.  I thought the Trot Slot was only worth $500k?

6 minutes ago, the galah said:

If mr steele is right and all those high end races and marketing of high end races is the way to go,then where's the indicators its working.There aren't any because it doesn't work.

So what do you promote from a marketing perspective?  The non-win trot at Reefton?  At least the Trot Slot will attract some Ozzie punters!

[the galah]

13 minutes ago, Gammalite said:

 

Reefton Maiden trot more popular ?? according to Galah. that's just head scratching . 

Don't run features anymore ?  your SPORT would collapse and Die . That's why we run features. to attract people with money to still have a Go. Brodie's a miser . he wouldn't buy a yearling lol 😁😉

 

 

i said people " currently" have more interest int he non win trot than the slot race.come cambridge racenight,people will watch the slot races. But no one on any racecourse tomorrow will be discussing who's going to win the slot races. 

and when you say don't run features anymore,thats jjust deflecting again by saying we have said something that we haven't.

the debate from our perspective is always about the sustainabilty iof the current spending and the impact it will have on the whole of the industry going forward.

 We never seem to be discussing the same thing even though we're always having these debates.

[the galah]

3 minutes ago, Noodlum said:

It's not saying that at all.  I thought the Trot Slot was only worth $500k?

So what do you promote from a marketing perspective?  The non-win trot at Reefton?  At least the Trot Slot will attract some Ozzie punters!

theres the 2 slot races at cambridge. One worth a million.

i've given my thoughts previously  on where the marketing spending should be directed.Its a complicated multi layered topic.

i haven't even discussed the trot race not getting enough support to  come up with enough runners to be run.

Hrnz have done a u turn as far as that goes. They have done that to save face,had they stuck to what they said they were going to do they would have canned the race.

[Gammalite]

24 minutes ago, Noodlum said:

My wife would rather spend the $500 on picking the winner of the Slot Trot!  Or save the money until her horse is in a race worthy of a $500 dress!

take a First 4 in Slot Trot then?  as I suggested earlier on this thread then . and spend a lot less. and enjoy the action. 

EXAMPLE .

Last night the Feature FFA at Alexandra Park Race 4  had the 6 starters . a nice number to give All runners a chance of victory. (big fields make it too hard and not worth the drama lol 🤣

1 was completely out of depth . ( A.Butts Drive) so write it off Immeadiately. 

Just leaves one other to drop out and you get the FIRST 4 , without even having to think much 🤣🏆

so if you drop Little Spike (because just has average driver and average trainer ) 

and run with the Sport Superstar's  of Mark Purdon  Herlihy, BarryP , all the Dalgety's and Zac Butcher 💪👍

You collect the FIRST 4 of Better Knuckle Up-Freeze Frame - Jolimont and Rubira.

$197 for a $24 box outlay.   fantastic. 💰

 Punting on small fields with TOP horses and TOP drivers is just so easy.  💰💰 money for jam with those great NZ horsemen. and Better class horses. Proven to win you money .

Meanwhile The Galah and Brodie will be backing bush ticks and Fleas at Westport that can't run 2 minutes, but somehow you want to lose your money on them ?  crazy stuff. and Reefton trot maidens? lol. and getting angry with the starter when their horse gallops again 🤣😂.

I've tried to do a Menangle thread here for tonight to highlight some Beautiful NZ horses running in the first 7 races. So have tried to show off some beauties in the Derby heats and Miracle Mile qualifiers for you blokes.

think my efforts might be in vain though competing against the might of those Westport maidens and hacks  ?😂  😉 Anyway I tried . at least it pop's some names of some great players/horses tonight on the site for a moment in time. sometimes the Sport is worth enjoying. (not so much in NZ it seems lol 😁😅)

 

[the galah]

1 minute ago, Gammalite said:

take a First 4 in Slot Trot then?  as I suggested earlier on this thread then . and spend a lot less. and enjoy the action. 

EXAMPLE .

Last night the Feature FFA at Alexandra Park Race 4  had the 6 starters . a nice number to give All runners a chance of victory. (big fields make it too hard and not worth the drama lol 🤣

1 was completely out of depth . ( A.Butts Drive) so write it off Immeadiately. 

Just leaves one other to drop out and you get the FIRST 4 , without even having to think much 🤣🏆

so if you drop Little Spike (because just has average driver and average trainer ) 

and run with the Sport Superstar's  of Mark Purdon  Herlihy, BarryP , all the Dalgety's and Zac Butcher 💪👍

You collect the FIRST 4 of Better Knuckle Up-Freeze Frame - Jolimont and Rubira.

$197 for a $24 box outlay.   fantastic. 💰

 Punting on small fields with TOP horses and TOP drivers is just so easy.  💰💰 money for jam with those great NZ horsemen. and Better class horses. Proven to win you money .

Meanwhile The Galah and Brodie will be backing bush ticks and Fleas at Westport that can't run 2 minutes, but somehow you want to lose your money on them ?  crazy stuff. and Reefton trot maidens? lol. and getting angry with the starter when their horse gallops again 🤣😂.

I've tried to do a Menangle thread here for tonight to highlight some Beautiful NZ horses running in the first 7 races. So have tried to show off some beauties in the Derby heats and Miracle Mile qualifiers for you blokes.

think my efforts might be in vain though competing against the might of those Westport maidens and hacks  ?😂  😉 Anyway I tried . at least it pop's some names of some great players/horses tonight on the site for a moment in time. sometimes the Sport is worth enjoying. (not so much in NZ it seems lol 😁😅)

 

love your passion  for the sport.

[Brodie]

2 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

You are already wrong.  ENTAIN's license to operate in NZ is granted by the NZ Government and with that comes terms and conditions to continue to support NZ Racing.

Fair enough, to what level are the condition to support NZ racing, Chief?

do we know what the level required is?

Apart from the $ that they have chucked in, I am having difficulty seeing what support they have been offering?

[Brodie]

1 hour ago, Noodlum said:

So these "grass roots people" are not trying to get a Slot worthy horse?

The marketing isn't directly aimed at the the non-win trot race at Reefton tomorrow.  All those $1 each way betters are already captured.  

Noodlum, of course grass roots owners would love a slot race horse in sbility!

Galah is correct though, most punters and we need the punters, do not give a rats about slot races!!

What they should be concerned about is whether there is going to be harness racing at a sustainable level in the years ahead!

What plays out in-the years ahead is what is being defined now!

I would be more confident in what Peter Cook says than Brad Steele and co. at HRNZ say!

 

[Brodie]

1 hour ago, Noodlum said:

Yes I am serious.

$1.30 is a good punters price!  If it isn't then there must be better chances in the field!  What you are missing is the promotion around the race.  Harness Racing has lacked marketing expenditure for a very long time.  

What HRNZ has been lacking for a very long time is making good financial business decisions!

They were given a life line and squandered it!

[Chief Stipe]

5 minutes ago, Brodie said:

Fair enough, to what level are the condition to support NZ racing, Chief?

do we know what the level required is?

Apart from the $ that they have chucked in, I am having difficulty seeing what support they have been offering?

The T's and C's will be commercially sensitive but ENTAIN only operate here under a license of which supporting racing is the corner stone.

Not only are the ENTAIN stakeholders subsidising NZ Racing to the tune of $30m+ for 5 years they are also pouring substantial sums into marketing the TAB.  Remember the transition TAB run by Mckenzie pushed that marketing fucntion off the balance out to the Racing Code administrators (e.g. NZTR, HRNZ and GRNZ).  Those administrators were clueless and did SFA.  

ENTAIN have also invested in replacing aged and largely useless technology (e.g. Point Of Sale terminals and Self-service Pods).  They've also cut costs by renegotiating the expensive contracts that the old TAB had signed up to and Mckenzie was too lame to address e.g. the TAB operating software, broadcasting and data networks.  They've also started rationalising staff.

They've also sponsored races over and above the lump sum handout e.g. buying Slots etc as well as sponsoring large races.  Not to mention the promotions for the big OZ races has also gone up several knots.  

[Brodie]

1 hour ago, Gammalite said:

The Slot races are hugely funded by the Participants.  they buy the slots. The Eureka is with over a Million dollars because of this , and is not considered a disgrace or 'Reckless to the sport.

It enables ANYBODY to get involved in a Slot and get involved . we have started a popular 2 yearold one for $1/2 million in Brisbane past 2 years. It's not considered a Waste of funding lol. that's a BOAY thing lol.

Reefton Maiden trot more popular ?? according to Galah. that's just head scratching . 

Don't run features anymore ?  your SPORT would collapse and Die . That's why we run features. to attract people with money to still have a Go. Brodie's a miser . he wouldn't buy a yearling lol 😁😉

 

KEAYANG Zahara is owned by a Syndicate of regular people out in the Bush , not big spending owners at all . Just people having fun with their sport.

Australia's feature SLOT race saw ENCIPHER win , and Defeat LEAP To Fame , for a syndicate of regular South Australia Folk 

Gamma, why would I buy a yearling when the future return is going to be so low?

Far from being a miser, invest mega dollars investing!

[Gammalite]

31 minutes ago, the galah said:

the debate from our perspective is always about the sustainabilty iof the current spending and the impact it will have on the whole of the industry going forward.

 We never seem to be discussing the same thing even though we're always having these debates.

Nothing wrong with that. I don't mind the debate with you , and yes things repeat. and it's a vast topic so we're covering plenty of ground. 

I was just disappointed to see the support (lack thereof) to run the TAB trot , when those great participants were turning up and would be headline Trot News around the Whole world. fantastic. 

the maiden and any race winners at Weatport , Reefton and Redcliffe and Margate = WON"T.  (sadly, but they are just the old participants making a living) 

To Answer your question in a nutshell again

Sustainabilty of the industry relies on these factors.

1 / You need Participants to do the racing. this is fading in NZ because of the age of the fabulous participants. so many have already passed retirement age.

2/ Revenue, you had a gift horse (as did Oz with Ladbrokes and Sportsbet)  that want to still take the bets on the sport even though as you accurately say they make the Megabucks from SPORTS Betting. ( I even put my 100 on the footy last night as very limited risk , with only 2 starters. Gold Coast at $1.50 . easier than horses lol 💰🤣

3/ money is gathered from a lot of sources , and allocated each season . there are about 8 sources including sponsors, Shareholders, Benefactors and more. it's quite complicated and I have had several chats with QR leader David Brick ( who bought the Interdominion Back amidst other things) with brilliant efforts and foresight. 

4/ Entain WILL NOT let the harness racing collapse. they're only moderately interested , and as Brodie says Sure , the Stake money will / or might have to drop to levels that Victoria or QLD run at , ( with the same amount of horses in race training ) 

5/ The economy is tough. People have large rents and mortgages. of course the betting dollar is gunna drop accordingly . you just can't make it the be-all and end all . Slot races actually have Participant funding. This is what we might have to do in future.

Pay to Start your horse . Pay an Acceptance Fee. not just get paid petrol money for running last at meetings and that. they should get nothing and try again next time lol.     

[Brodie]

51 minutes ago, Noodlum said:

It's not saying that at all.  I thought the Trot Slot was only worth $500k?

So what do you promote from a marketing perspective?  The non-win trot at Reefton?  At least the Trot Slot will attract some Ozzie punters!

The Reefton maiden will not lose as much money for the industry than what the slot race will!!

Not sure What part of HRNZ can not afford to keep running races at a loss do you not understand?

[Chief Stipe]

6 minutes ago, Brodie said:

What HRNZ has been lacking for a very long time is making good financial business decisions!

They were given a life line and squandered it!

They haven't squandered all of it.  They have improved their cash assets from $12m in 2021 to $32m in 2025.

[Gammalite]

4 minutes ago, Brodie said:

Gamma, why would I buy a yearling when the future return is going to be so low?

Far from being a miser, invest mega dollars investing!

All those big time owners lose Brodster. They have that many horses and I do remember you pricing how much it cost to run one. It's not a great option to do solo. I always had partners. And just strove to break even. 

It was just a bit of fun. even the very top of Seymour, Stonewall and even Boots are all probably well behind in harness as far as dollars spent are concerned. , but make/made their money elsewhere.  and their investment in harness is getting them some winners recent years for sure. so are having a great time. 

yes like you , they are intelligent men , and made their money over the years in various ways.  Apologies for the miser reference. I'm sure you always invest in what you enjoy. 

[Brodie]

10 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

The T's and C's will be commercially sensitive but ENTAIN only operate here under a license of which supporting racing is the corner stone.

Not only are the ENTAIN stakeholders subsidising NZ Racing to the tune of $30m+ for 5 years they are also pouring substantial sums into marketing the TAB.  Remember the transition TAB run by Mckenzie pushed that marketing fucntion off the balance out to the Racing Code administrators (e.g. NZTR, HRNZ and GRNZ).  Those administrators were clueless and did SFA.  

ENTAIN have also invested in replacing aged and largely useless technology (e.g. Point Of Sale terminals and Self-service Pods).  They've also cut costs by renegotiating the expensive contracts that the old TAB had signed up to and Mckenzie was too lame to address e.g. the TAB operating software, broadcasting and data networks.  They've also started rationalising staff.

They've also sponsored races over and above the lump sum handout e.g. buying Slots etc as well as sponsoring large races.  Not to mention the promotions for the big OZ races has also gone up several knots.  

Chief, why are the terms and conditions to what Entain has to contribute to NZ racing commercially sensitive now?

They have no competition from other betting agencies, do why?

Rest assured it will not be much and stakes are going to plummet and there sill be so many owners currently who will give it away!

I reiterate, Entain are not interested in NZ racing, it is not their forte!

Anyway, do not like having to point out the future the way it is going to be for harness racing, would much prefer to have it thriving!

Probably no point debating it as it has little effect on myself, more frustrated for the genuine participants who rely on it for a living!

[Noodlum]

7 minutes ago, Brodie said:

The Reefton maiden will not lose as much money for the industry than what the slot race will!!

Not sure What part of HRNZ can not afford to keep running races at a loss do you not understand?

So are you suggesting that all NZ Harness races should be Reefton Maiden trots to save money?

Of course they can't keep running races at a loss (if that's the case) but you don't seem to offer any suggestions other than ENTAIN taking the betting restrictions off you so you can make the loss bigger!!!