Brodie Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 (edited) Announced today that the 2019 Jewels are going to be held at Addington rather than Ashburton. Wont be great if they race over 1609m as the starting point is an absolute shocker!!!! Hopefully someone will have enough brains and guts to amend the racing distance to 1950m! Field no.s will also need to be restricted to probably 10 if they are stupid enough to race over the mile. I am sure the racing and event will be a helluva lot better over the 1950m then the mile! Edited April 28, 2018 by Brodie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 35 minutes ago, Brodie said: Wont be great if they race over 1609m as the starting point is an absolute shocker!!!! Even the authorities are not that stupid. Part of the equation of moving to Addington would be the acceptance that it would be over 1950. If a favourite drew 2 the race is a formality. If a favourite drew 10 then it isn't winning. Everybody will be wasting their time over a mile at Addington. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 35 minutes ago, Brodie said: Announced today that the 2019 Jewels are going to be held at Addington rather than Ashburton. Wont be great if they race over 1609m as the starting point is an absolute shocker!!!! Hopefully someone will have enough brains and guts to amend the racing distance to 1950m! Field no.s will also need to be restricted to probably 10 if they are stupid enough to race over the mile. I am sure the racing and event will be a helluva lot better over the 1950m then the mile! Be interesting to see what they do, maybe go back to the 2000 m standing start, that would make for some big divies!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Yet to be decided, 1950m or 2000m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted April 28, 2018 Author Share Posted April 28, 2018 44 minutes ago, Newmarket said: Yet to be decided, 1950m or 2000m. So they definitely aren’t over the mile? Great! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 1950, please. The mile rates will still be pretty meaningful and fast I imagine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 A couple of observations on this. One, a few mates and I have attended every Ashburton Jewels, precisely because it's not at Addington and we can enjoy a boot party out in the car park. So switching to Addington, even though we could now walk to the event, will result in an immediate loss of four patrons. Two, I also expect the distance to be changed to 1950m (personally, I'd prefer the classic distance of 2400, but that starting point is even worse at Addington), but the mile starting point isn't quite as simple as "inside draw great, outside draw terrible". After all, if the mobile barrier went slowly enough, then the reverse would be true because the outside horses would be at or near top speed while the inside horses would be walking (this was exactly the problem in the 70s). There must be a "sweet spot" mobile speed that evens things up... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Can see 2 sides, I bet Ashburton club really pissed off. I quite liked a trip out every 2nd year. But really, club didn’t have the facilities to cater for everyone. Sure, put up a marque, but in the middle of winter, not the best option. I found Ashburton got a little greedy with their marque food /drink deals. Started off great value, then increased bigtime. Hope Addington cater for all. Wonder if Cambridge will retain Jewels. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Newmarket said: Can see 2 sides, I bet Ashburton club really pissed off. I quite liked a trip out every 2nd year. But really, club didn’t have the facilities to cater for everyone. Sure, put up a marque, but in the middle of winter, not the best option. I found Ashburton got a little greedy with their marque food /drink deals. Started off great value, then increased bigtime. Hope Addington cater for all. Wonder if Cambridge will retain Jewels. They will need Marquees at Addington if they hold at same time of year,as I don't think their function rooms big enough and no public stand.I think the price Ashburton charged was a wee bit expensive but not overly unreasonable.I think it cost me and mate just over $2000 for a table for 10 of us and we all had a big day on piss and very enjoyeable meal and dayHowever if you don't drink it very expensive day,.But I don't think we will be buying a table at Addington for the jewels. Edited April 28, 2018 by Richie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portfolio Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 $200 each for food & drink Richie, that’s quite a bit .I think one year early on a few of us did it, about half that price. Your right, miss the stand, and probably need marques. Why don’t Addington rebuild the stand, even a portion of it? If they did it right, they could even rent out space below. Miss that stand, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 In my view a poor decision. Have never missed Ashburton Jewels Day - but Addington 1950 no thanks. Feel sorry for Ashburton and all provincial clubs, hard enough without support from Head Office Disappointing decision IMHO Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted April 28, 2018 Author Share Posted April 28, 2018 There will be more punters prepared to offload at Addington 1950m than at Ashburton over the mile. Ashburton track is good for times but as a spectacle when you are oncourse is a bit average, as you are too far away seem there is the galloping track,on the outside. Think it is a good idea to,go to Addington as it will allow for fairer and better racing if over the 1950m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Brodie I would have thought the 1950 was draw dependant - has no appeal to me, but they may make it 2000m and that would be better I think My real concern is provincial clubs being isolated, no future in that in my view Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 27 minutes ago, Turny said: Brodie I would have thought the 1950 was draw dependant - has no appeal to me, but they may make it 2000m and that would be better I think My real concern is provincial clubs being isolated, no future in that in my view 2000m would be fine but 1609m would not be fine! I believe that over the next few years some of the provincial clubs will move their racing to the Metropolitan tracks as they can not afford to race their meetings. Tracks like Forbury will close and be sold off as residential sections for housing! Reality of life really, if it isn’t viable then you finish up, like any business! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Agree on the 2000m If Forbury goes do you think they will move to Wingatui and become grass track specialist club. Immediate thoughts is it would have appeal, day meetings grass track on a Saturday and leave Sunday to the Southland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 6 minutes ago, Turny said: Agree on the 2000m If Forbury goes do you think they will move to Wingatui and become grass track specialist club. Immediate thoughts is it would have appeal, day meetings grass track on a Saturday and leave Sunday to the Southland I suppose they will race at Wingstui on the grass but they wouldn’t hold too many meetings due to the weather down in Dunedin. Forbury from all reports is pretty broke and stakes are hardly worth racing for. They are lucky that there are trainers from Canterbury that are still going down to Forbury, but once that stops happening, they will be toast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Will be sad, a lot if history there - but Hurt Park is a memory too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 (edited) Hutt Park, but got hurt there many times Edited April 29, 2018 by Turny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 4 minutes ago, Turny said: Hutt Park, but got hurt there many times Probably forb and hutt park two of my fav tracks, it would be sad to see forbury gone as well, would get boring if it ever got to the point where we only had Alex pk and Addington holding all the meetings. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Would give it away if down to AP and Addington, just not my places now - and sad to go where so few there - troubled times sadly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 3 minutes ago, Turny said: Would give it away if down to AP and Addington, just not my places now - and sad to go where so few there - troubled times sadly The buzz you used to get when going has steadily slipped away, I go to Alex pk occasionally now and see the pokies room full and people in the tab part watch the races on t.v when the track and all the action is 20 steps away. I really enjoy going to the likes of Cambridge, manawatu and forbury when im out of town, Victoria pk in greymouth was another unique little track that closed it always used to attract quite big fields. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Do agree in parts with everyone on this, Have always loved going to Ashburton, long enough to get out of ChCh, but not too long to get back. We all love mile racing, mention mile racing and we get a buzz. I love supporting the other tracks, and I hope grass tracks, and others stick around for many years. But, if they raced at Addington 1950m or 2000m, it may attract better turnover? Not sure, as I say. , I’m sitting on fence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 4 hours ago, Portfolio said: Miss that stand, That stand could tell a few stories..... Hard to imagine it used to be full of people drinking, walking out to watch a race then migrate back in. And if you decided to sit down in the stand you would need to scan the crowd to find an empty aisle. It is a shame it is gone. The public stand created an atmosphere all by itself. The soul of Addington has never been replaced. It never resided in a stand that was past the winning post! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 3 hours ago, Brodie said: Tracks like Forbury will close and be sold off as residential sections for housing! Yet, Waimate spends $400 000 on new facilities to keep racing. The logic is non-existent when Oamaru is down the road. Long Live Forbury!!!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 I was told a year or so ago that Addington was looking at building motel units basically where the old main grandstand was! Has anyone heard whether this was still on the agenda? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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