Happy Sunrise Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 Despite the disaster of the apartment buildings, a disappearing grass track circuit, abysmal field sizes at Auckland despite the best the stakes in the country and fields which are full of South Island cast offs, they should be happy the All Stars only make fleeting visits because, if they did, they would take the stakes away from locals on an even more consistent basis which would be the death of the Alexandra Park and Cambridge. The difference from the South Island is stark. Southland harness seems to be going fine and in Canterbury there are two distinct scenes, almost three which are Addington, grass trackers and the lower level grit horses. The trial fields are pretty big too and it is rare to see clubs struggle for numbers (the exception being Forbury at times) even Oamaru can manage fields when up against grass track meetings the next day in Canterbury. There seems to be no logic to what is happening in the North in anything they do, from programming to management, they seem lost. It wouldn't surprise me one day if the ATC came out one day and said they were screwed and needed help. Is the future that dark? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 Happy, yes I can not see Auckland Club getting out of it without selling more land which is probably a Franklin training centre. There is no way they can maintain the stake money that they Currently offering and there are fewer owners, trainers and drivers than there used to be. The amount of debt has put them in the shite totally! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 Pretty much the south is holding harness racing together, if the good stakes disappeared from Alex park who knows how long it would carry on. Mind you it is a great track as far as facilities go good resturants and great track to watch live racing at....plus very close to the city. I would be very sad if it did ever dissapear. Four tracks in the north that were always well supported but shut we're ruakaka, claudlands, thames ...but Wellington especially killed off the central district's part of the north island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted December 18, 2019 Share Posted December 18, 2019 From left field however,would there be any merit in selling all of Alexandra Park and relocating to Avondale thereby killing 2 birds with 1 stone. The trotters have money and Avondale will continue to operate with horses 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 22 hours ago, mumbles said: From left field however,would there be any merit in selling all of Alexandra Park and relocating to Avondale thereby killing 2 birds with 1 stone. The trotters have money and Avondale will continue to operate with horses People would hate to go to Avondale, its a shithole, bagdhad has less hostile inhabitants.. and its an arsehole to get to. Epsom has everything, motels etc. Moving the home of northern harness would most certainly be the death of it. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted December 19, 2019 Author Share Posted December 19, 2019 20 minutes ago, Flagship uberalles said: Epsom has everything Rodney Hide would make a great amateur driver. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 14 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: Rodney Hide would make a great amateur driver. He has been seen in the cart driving David Seymour at the Auckland trials! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 18 hours ago, Flagship uberalles said: People would hate to go to Avondale, its a shithole, bagdhad has less hostile inhabitants.. and its an arsehole to get to. Epsom has everything, motels etc. Moving the home of northern harness would most certainly be the death of it. Well it could relocate else where possibly south of the Bombays. Melton appears to be going well after MV disappeared. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globederby12 Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 1 hour ago, mumbles said: Well it could relocate else where possibly south of the Bombays. Melton appears to be going well after MV disappeared. Yes, but Melbourne like Sydney has a large population base to work with, and while both of their main tracks are some distance from the main center they still attract enough fans and punters from that population base to remain popular. I think moving Alex Park would kill whatever support base there is already, and they might as well hold hands with the TAB while the ship goes down. Its easy to get to, plenty of parking, and good facility's. I think we are a long way off seeing the "Ribbon of Light",s demise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 (edited) Globe, I hope you right in that Auckland HRness Racing is going to be around for awhile yet. Personally don’t enjoy the style of racing up there but NZ harness to survive does need it still going! However, I can’t see it surviving unless things change dramatically and not sure how that is going to happen with the finances being in a dire state. How can you run a successful meeting with an average of only 7 horses over 7 of the races? Stakes are very good with a minimum of $15k but clearly there is not the number of horses required and new owners aren’t really coming thru. Young trainers are few and far between because the costs including land etc. just makes it too hard ! Auckland will need to drop the stakes by quite a bit to make it semi viable and then there will be more drop out of the industry. Merry Xmas everyone! Edited December 20, 2019 by Brodie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 13 minutes ago, Brodie said: Globe, I hope you right in that Auckland HRness Racing is going to be around for awhile yet. Personally don’t enjoy the style of racing up there but NZ harness to survive does need it still going! However, I can’t see it surviving unless things change dramatically and not sure how that is going to happen with the finances being in a dire state. How can you run a successful meeting with an average of only 7 horses over 7 of the races? Stakes are very good with a minimum of $15k but clearly there is not the number of horses required and new owners aren’t really coming thru. Young trainers are few and far between because the costs including land etc. just makes it too hard ! Auckland will need to drop the stakes by quite a bit to make it semi viable and then there will be more drop out of the industry. Merry Xmas everyone! The only thing wrong with racing at Alex park is THE PASSING LANE(and mile nights ). Merry Xmas brodster 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Flagship uberalles said: The only thing wrong with racing at Alex park is THE PASSING LANE(and mile nights ). Merry Xmas brodster And Allstars win all the big ones!, Merry Xmas to you too Flagster! Don’t over indulge ! Wait for it, Ranga will be on with a picture! Edited December 20, 2019 by Brodie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 3 hours ago, mumbles said: Well it could relocate else where possibly south of the Bombays. Melton appears to be going well after MV disappeared. Auckland has quite a good corporate side, lots of work places in the city do nights out etc moving out in my opinion would kill off the gimmick side of things there. Traffic is a major issue for people getting anywhere in Auckland and the further out of the city, in my opinion the less people are going to want to make the effort, let alone get there before the 5th race. Having been to menangle in outer Sydney and the great harold park in glebe, there is no contest......menangle too far out and has zero appeal apart from a t.v perspective robbing most of Sydney new comers to the sport a close up fun night out at the trots.rip harold park 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagship uberalles Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 9 minutes ago, Brodie said: Wait for it, Ranga will be on with a picture! Hope its not jj with a beard, red suit and children on his knee ? he's dodgy enough without that innuendo! ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 2 hours ago, globederby12 said: Yes, but Melbourne like Sydney has a large population base to work with, and while both of their main tracks are some distance from the main center they still attract enough fans and punters I can't imagine a punter would make a regular journey out to Melton to watch the races unless they are a die hard like you Globe! Especially as it is a fair distance. I think once you take the races out of central Auckland you kiss goodbye to attendance and admit defeat to a made for TV product. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globederby12 Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 On a brighter note. Regarding the National Trot on Xmas Eve at Cambridge over the mile. We have drawn the car park again FFS. And yes, you guessed it, Oscar has drawn gate two. Merry Xmas everyone - - - - not. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 (edited) Globe, to be fair they shouldn’t be running miles at Cambridge or Addington or Forbury or Anywhere! Hope you win though, as he deserves it, but if it trots Oscar won’t be beaten from 2 Edited December 20, 2019 by Brodie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taku Umanga Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 9 hours ago, Brodie said: Globe, to be fair they shouldn’t be running miles at Cambridge or Addington or Forbury or Anywhere! Agreed - can't stand it and certainly won't attend (or even watch) meetings where every race is over a mile. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongOwner Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 All or most seem to not understand cashflow - ATC has every apartment deposit in trust and cannot touch it and has been bridging the cost of the new build with no money coming in - 2/3 years. Then on completion all settlements will happen and the $$$ get banked . At the moment it is just paying bills for a multi million build so naturally big losses until completion . 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Sunrise Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 37 minutes ago, LongOwner said: All or most seem to not understand cashflow - ATC has every apartment deposit in trust and cannot touch it and has been bridging the cost of the new build with no money coming in - 2/3 years. Then on completion all settlements will happen and the $$$ get banked . At the moment it is just paying bills for a multi million build so naturally big losses until completion . So nothing to fear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongOwner Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 6 minutes ago, Happy Sunrise said: So nothing to fear? No guarantee but let’s see what the position is after the building is finished and money received . They are living on debt at the moment but that will be paid off and Lone Star rent plus others will help keep the stakes up . 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 54 minutes ago, LongOwner said: No guarantee but let’s see what the position is after the building is finished and money received . They are living on debt at the moment but that will be paid off and Lone Star rent plus others will help keep the stakes up . Hope you are correct, but if you can only get 7 horse fields when you are putting up a minimum of $15k, it is telling us something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangatira Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 On 20/12/2019 at 8:52 PM, Brodie said: Globe, to be fair they shouldn’t be running miles at Cambridge or Addington or Forbury or Anywhere! Hope you win though, as he deserves it, but if it trots Oscar won’t be beaten from 2 Waikato Bay of Plenty Harness Inc Friday, 10 January Meeting: FLYING MILE & FLYING STAKES RACE NIGHT (Night 1) at Cambridge Raceway All races over 1609m albeit tentative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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