Freda Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 No comments from anyone about yesterday's racing.? I had nothing good enough to run, but the racing was super and there were some stellar performances. Catalyst - as expected - and Sensei, 55 sec in a canter, boy. Friends attended, they had a good day but noted that attendance was pretty thin. Will be interesting to see how the Trotting Cup day fares numbers-wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Certainly some nice performances. Problem with racing as far as attendance goes is that its on in NZ 5 days a week.There is no defined season like eg Sept thru to June which means you miss a meeting u know that another one is just around the corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 True....but Cup week is a tradition in itself. If numbers at the trots are down, then we have to accept a sign of the times....but if they hold up....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All The Aces Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 2 hours ago, Freda said: No comments from anyone about yesterday's racing.? I had nothing good enough to run, but the racing was super and there were some stellar performances. Catalyst - as expected - and Sensei, 55 sec in a canter, boy. Friends attended, they had a good day but noted that attendance was pretty thin. Will be interesting to see how the Trotting Cup day fares numbers-wise. Didn't look too many on-course yesterday Freda. Fields weren't that great but of course Catalyst was a draw card. Sensei was good and so he probably should run 55 sec with a huge tailwind and going down hill. The Northerners don't seem to be coming down with the big numbers any more eg Lisa Latta none in yesterday and three in on Wednesday. She usually brings down a big team. I am not sure that Wednesday is looking all that flash either. Turnover figures will be interesting. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Enjoyed the day out, crowd was thin, but to be fair I enjoyed it better than cup day, where there is copious amounts of the younger generation full of alcohol, the racing was good, thought Dee and gee put up a top run given the weight she had to lump.Didnt hear many of the race dividends given out over the pa system, only the last race, but I did miss the first few races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murray Fish Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 what was the entrance charge? perhaps punters are not impressed with the lack of Stand etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Bloggs Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 A well respected local trainer told me the track was well watered, with due respect and I mean due respect I have my own views on that. They gave the track out as a D5 on Wed and irrigated, no water from then, a D4 on Fri, with a weather forecast of warm and strong winds for Sat......why on earth did they not irrigate on Fri then? We had the 2nd fav in his race, he raced well below expectations, he was a Northern visitor and along with most of the other northerners on Sat he finished down the track. Pulled up ok, never let go at all according to his jock who mentioned it felt more like a Fast1 than a G3! So, instead of this All Weather crap, the money should be spent on right proper irrigation, laying a Strathayr surface and doing the job so all horses race on a forgiving surface and increase the longevity of summer/good track horses....IMO of course, for what it's worth. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomass Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Maybe Pitty got into Millsy's ear and told him to leave watering out...or else? Its one of his bugbears...but what a day they had! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 1 hour ago, Joe Bloggs said: A well respected local trainer told me the track was well watered, with due respect and I mean due respect I have my own views on that. They gave the track out as a D5 on Wed and irrigated, no water from then, a D4 on Fri, with a weather forecast of warm and strong winds for Sat......why on earth did they not irrigate on Fri then? We had the 2nd fav in his race, he raced well below expectations, he was a Northern visitor and along with most of the other northerners on Sat he finished down the track. Pulled up ok, never let go at all according to his jock who mentioned it felt more like a Fast1 than a G3! So, instead of this All Weather crap, the money should be spent on right proper irrigation, laying a Strathayr surface and doing the job so all horses race on a forgiving surface and increase the longevity of summer/good track horses....IMO of course, for what it's worth. Good comments. You will have noticed that the top of the turf was chipping out, does it most always, but it would have been very hard underneath. The type of soil underlying just can't absorb irrigation very well and can produce very shifty, false footing ; hence Pitty's intense dislike of artificially watered tracks. Once it rains properly, the conditions change markedly and we can get very testing ground indeed. I'm sure some of my owners scratch their heads at my choice not to run there very often, in summer certainly. But I know that, despite watering, the jar is significant. A few years ago I had a modest little performer with a pedal bone problem. Very genuine, he was, but struggled on anything but softish footing. I took him to Riverton on one occasion, thinking that the track would suit him perfectly. For once, it didn't rain. When normally, at Riverton at Easter, stable people and spectators alike are clad in swannies, parkas and gumboots, the public came out in their summer finery. Local girls sported short skirts and fascinators....! The track came out as Gd 2. If the costs to get to the bottom of the island hadn't been so significant, I would have pulled him out, but decided to allow him to run. Worried myself sick for hours - but he bounced off the peaty turf and won. Later, back home, I ran him at Riccarton on a Dead 5.....and he felt the ground badly and didn't let down. Agree re. Strathayr. That [ IMO ] is the only way to get some credibility, consistency, and a horse-friendly surface. And, given the difficulty in getting sufficient water to all the grass areas, how on earth is an allweather going to be well maintained - as well as the existing grass course? correct me if I'm wrong, but I think a fair bit of water is required in the upkeep of one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted November 11, 2019 Share Posted November 11, 2019 How's the track looking for Wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted November 11, 2019 Author Share Posted November 11, 2019 After nearly an inch and a half of rain....the fire is definitely out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted November 11, 2019 Share Posted November 11, 2019 Thanks, Freda, hopefully will suit all by Wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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