Are there signs of cracks in the Cambridge AWT training ranks?

[Chief Stipe]

It's a joke so far.  How can a bookie set a market if a third of the current field has to be scratched!

So much for a great revenue generating innovation.

Competing against 5 OZ meetings tomorrow.  Two of which have Fixed Odds displaying on OZZIE bookies already.

Perhaps the TAB NZ only sets a book when its algorithm can copy someone elses!

 

[nomates]

1 hour ago, mikeynz said:

Some of t

Some of the rethoric being spoken about Cambridge having good size fields seems a little bit over the top to me,lots of entrants ,yes, but a third of the entrants won't get a start,seems like bullshit to me,

Welcome to NZ racing .

[Chief Stipe]

It gets worse.  The TAB NZ don't even display which horses are balloted!

Maybe we should pay another $10m a year to get the extra software modules!

Perhaps Glenn Saville can cut us a deal!

[nomates]

And now the piss poor losers have decided to add a 1600 r65 at counties rather than split the r65 1600 at Te Rapa , got 32 nom's but can only run 14 , so that's 18 that don't get a run , what about the poor buggers near the bottom of the ratings , if all 18 choose to run at Counties , the bottom 4 miss again , that's before you add in the horses that have been set for the Counties races .

When will they wake up , look after the people that are putting their hands in their pockets to race a horse , they are a pack of bludgers . 

This is them just trying to manage fields and doing a piss poor job of it , they could have put on a consolation of 10k , same stake as the counties race , and it ensures everybody is catered for .

They deserve all the shit and criticism that falls on them , yet again failing racing participants .

[Huey]

2 hours ago, nomates said:

And now the piss poor losers have decided to add a 1600 r65 at counties rather than split the r65 1600 at Te Rapa , got 32 nom's but can only run 14 , so that's 18 that don't get a run , what about the poor buggers near the bottom of the ratings , if all 18 choose to run at Counties , the bottom 4 miss again , that's before you add in the horses that have been set for the Counties races .

When will they wake up , look after the people that are putting their hands in their pockets to race a horse , they are a pack of bludgers . 

This is them just trying to manage fields and doing a piss poor job of it , they could have put on a consolation of 10k , same stake as the counties race , and it ensures everybody is catered for .

They deserve all the shit and criticism that falls on them , yet again failing racing participants .

Because nothing is based on any analytical data its all just guess work and finger in the air. I've often wondered why they couldn't announce before a race meeting which races or that a certain number of races will be split at a meeting if there are X noms. As you say just absolutely clueless.

Get ready for the massive PR drive over the next few weeks regarding racing on the exciting new AWT !

[The Centaur]

On 14/05/2021 at 3:20 PM, mikeynz said:

Starting limits of 12 and I think 10 in some races,interesting to see if extra races will be run ,if they all want a race might need lights to get all races done in time.

So far no trial has had more than 8 starters. You would have thought they would have given a test with 12.

Chief is right the scratchings are a farce. They could have been declared 8.00 pm tonight that still gives trainers time to see if horse is "eating up". You can't blame track conditions for scratchings.

[nomates]

Question , is there any reason that the product that the A/W is made from cannot be dyed or coloured green in some way to make the surface more aesthetically appealling . 

[Huey]

Anyone seen any betting figures for the Cambridge meetings? Be interesting to see how AWT compares to say the Wanganui meeting yesterday or Oamaru today for example.

I think we have had 3 or 4 meetings so far , so surely we are starting to see some improvement in wagering on this new surface, particularly comparing it to Winter gallops ?

[nomates]

13 minutes ago, Huey said:

Anyone seen any betting figures for the Cambridge meetings? Be interesting to see how AWT compares to say the Wanganui meeting yesterday or Oamaru today for example.

I think we have had 3 or 4 meetings so far , so surely we are starting to see some improvement in wagering on this new surface, particularly comparing it to Winter gallops ?

From what i seen on Wednesday , and i was watching closely , the win pools were not big , certainly no bigger than any other midweeker , that was just the tote pool , perhaps they are dragging it in on fixed odds , perhaps not .

As for the track , bloody hard to pick any sort of pattern , seen horses sit 4 wide and win seen horses lead/trail and win . If your back you have to go early and wide . The one major i have noticed is that the main thing is a clear trouble free run , where they can maintain momentum , saying that not many sprinting off it . And if your horse is not handling it you can soon see .

Wont be getting much of my money , i will watch to see if i can pick one to back next start , got Johny Johny on Wed off the back of a tough run previous meeting sitting wide and sticking on , had a good draw Wed and got the lollies . Darci Palmer will get one next time , seems a better horse on it .

[Huey]

From the Optimist :

“Horse numbers are good. Synthetic tracks are a game-changer for the industry and once the new TAB NZ Board is appointed, we will be advocating for all revitalising options to be considered. As you are aware, investment by TAB NZ in the acquisition and retention of customers, especially through technology, is required to drive customer growth.” - BS (literally) 

 

Horse numbers look good because they (NZTR) have shrunk the industry to reflect that, if the AWT is that good - anyone seen any wagering figures?? The rest I realise just corporate BS that BS himself specializes in.

 

[Guest Whyisit]

On 18/06/2021 at 10:46 AM, nomates said:

 The one major i have noticed is that the main thing is a clear trouble free run , where they can maintain momentum , saying that not many sprinting off it . And if your horse is not handling it you can soon see .

 

That's a reflection of the times they are doing you need to back firm trackers they are getting a firm track with give in it,(no fire in it) really makes them sizzle along 

Maidens run 1.10.5 equivalent 1200m  Doing 1.35+ for 1600m     

 Wet trackers will get some additional help with the give in the track and will do better times accordingly as from running on a firm grass track.

[Huey]

Seems like most of us have been completely wrong about the AWT at Cambridge, according to many yesterday its a massive success.

Still just so I can be right royally put in my place , has anyone seen any wagering figures on these race days yet? I assume they are already profitable for the industry at this early stage?

Anyone???

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Huey said:

Seems like most of us have been completely wrong about the AWT at Cambridge, according to many yesterday its a massive success.

Still just so I can be right royally put in my place , has anyone seen any wagering figures on these race days yet? I assume they are already profitable for the industry at this early stage?

Anyone???

Trust Huey , just show some trust , they wouldn't mislead by making assumptions without sound information to back any statements .

What i seen yesterday was the win pool struggling to achieve even normal midweek levels , but hey i'm sure the bookies were killing it .

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, Huey said:

Seems like most of us have been completely wrong about the AWT at Cambridge, according to many yesterday its a massive success.

Where are the figures?  Surely in the interests of transparency and to put the naysayers in their place they would publish the hard data that proves the success of the venture?

Of course they couldn't do a direct comparison because the Cambridge Jockey Club have never had so many race meetings before.

[Huey]

Only 3 full fields there yesterday assuming they start 12?

A 6 horse field in the R65 grade.

[Chief Stipe]

3 minutes ago, Huey said:

Only 3 full fields there yesterday assuming they start 12?

A 6 horse field in the R65 grade.

Oh OK - I missed the sarcasm in your earlier response.   Those two stats you just posted don't bode well.

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

Where are the figures?  Surely in the interests of transparency and to put the naysayers in their place they would publish the hard data that proves the success of the venture?

Of course they couldn't do a direct comparison because the Cambridge Jockey Club have never had so many race meetings before.

Compare it to the meeting it replaced from last year , oh that's right can't even find those figures . Or compare it to any other midweek meeting at this time if year . Might not look so rosy .

Plus we haven't looked like having a meeting abandoned so far this year , as i've always said the year this was used as the reasoning for needing A/W's was an exception .

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Huey said:

Only 3 full fields there yesterday assuming they start 12?

A 6 horse field in the R65 grade.

There are 9 more meetings programmed at Cambridge , thru till mid Oct , the last 2/3 will being the lightning rod for how numbers hold up .

[Chief Stipe]

2 minutes ago, nomates said:

Plus we haven't looked like having a meeting abandoned so far this year , as i've always said the year this was used as the reasoning for needing A/W's was an exception .

Not only an exception but budgeted for!  If the abandoned meetings had gone ahead in those years then there wouldn't have been enough funds to pay the stakes!

[Huey]

Are we 5 or 6 meetings down now on the AWT?

Anyone seen any figures? there must be some patterns emerging by now and these obviously positive betting patterns would be great to see with regards to convincing everyone about the need for a  couple of more AWT surely?

Be very interested also to see how these betting figures compare to those on the winter surfaces.

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Huey said:

Are we 5 or 6 meetings down now on the AWT?

Anyone seen any figures? there must be some patterns emerging by now and these obviously positive betting patterns would be great to see with regards to convincing everyone about the need for a  couple of more AWT surely?

Be very interested also to see how these betting figures compare to those on the winter surfaces.

The win tote at the close of races is pretty much what you see at any other midweek meeting , i have made a point of watching these figures .

[nomates]

I find it interesting that on Wednesday they have the biggest stake day for the Cambridge A/W since it's inception and they have only managed to get enough horses to run 7 races , surely they are expecting a decent crowd so why wouldn't they programme a couple of extra races .

First meeting where they haven't had enough nom's to split a race or two , perhaps that was what they were expecting hence they only programmed 7 races .

[Freda]

Yeah...  $40k for MAAT horses?  you'd think they would be swamped with entries.

[nomates]

Only 96 horses accepted with only 17 horses that haven't raced on the A/W surface previously , a bit surprised with the low number trying the A/W for the first time , would have thought there would be a continuous supply of new blood at this time of year , especially in the Waikato district . Sign of things to come ? 

The biggest worry is that there is 170k in stakes being put up , what are the chances that the industry is going to lose big on this meeting . I will be keeping an eye on the totes for each race . Going to be interesting .

[Doomed]

4 hours ago, nomates said:

Only 96 horses accepted with only 17 horses that haven't raced on the A/W surface previously , a bit surprised with the low number trying the A/W for the first time , would have thought there would be a continuous supply of new blood at this time of year , especially in the Waikato district . Sign of things to come ? 

The biggest worry is that there is 170k in stakes being put up , what are the chances that the industry is going to lose big on this meeting . I will be keeping an eye on the totes for each race . Going to be interesting .

Yes, a very strange situation. $120,000 of additional stakes added to this meeting. An incredible extravagance. Hard to see how it could be cost effective. They would need to sell a Dargaville racecourse just to fund one meeting like this. And all directed to maidens and recent maiden graduates. I would have thought that if they wanted to run a $40,000 race It might be an idea to make it an open sprint to give decent horses a warm up for the new season.

Obviously in the north it is intended to keep AWT racing and turf track racing totally separate with separate pools of horses. Decent horses only get to use it for track work and trials.

In the South it is a different approach, with AWT racing intended to replace grass track racing throughout the winter, other than the occasional bog meeting at Ricarton..

The more you think about it, $45m does seem to be a lot of money to cater exclusively to a lower tier of horses.