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Bit Of A Yarn

No More Jumps Racing in South Australia


Chief Stipe

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Victoria will be the only state to host jumps racing from 2022 after Racing SA announced that the sport would cease immediately in South Australia.

In a statement, Racing SA said declining participation levels and dwindling local horse numbers had made the local jumping industry unsustainable and unworkable.

Racing SA chief executive Nick Redin pointed to data that indicated there are fewer than 10 jumps horses currently in South Australia, while only a handful of local trainers hold a jumps license.

Due to the impacts of COVID, including border closures that restricted participation by Victorian riders, only 12 jumps races were held in South Australia last season with field sizes falling to, on average, less than five horses per race.

Redin conceded that, although many traditionalists would be opposed to the decision, it was the best move for the future of thoroughbred racing in South Australia.

“Jumps racing has been an important part of the thoroughbred industry for almost 150 years,” Redin said.

“However, participation levels in jumps racing in South Australia, particularly from within our State, have been declining for some time and it has become clear that we no longer have a sustainable jumps industry.

“While this will undoubtedly be sad news for some, we believe it creates some very exciting opportunities for the future.

“Thoroughbred racing in South Australia is on a growth trajectory, and this decision is in the best interests for the future of our industry.”

Redin confirmed that the iconic Oakbank Racing Carnival will continue with the traditional Easter Saturday and Easter Monday racedays, although all races – including the iconic Great Eastern, Von Doussa and Harry D. Young jumping features - will now be run as flat events.

 
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I assume they have been in consultation with ARC . The Oakbank jumping carnival relied on visiting horses so i don't know what local numbers had to do with it . 

Another jumping institution gone , when put alongside how Victoria has a very short sharp jumping season , it's a tough time in Australasia if you have a horse that you think can make a jumper .

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Sad...but inevitable I feel.

No one does jumping like the Poms and the Irish.  Better to enjoy the quality they showcase and forget the mediocre.   Not that I wish to rubbish the lovely horses of yesteryear, or their skilled handlers.   But, today we see only a shadow of what was.

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I asked Theo Howe once who he thought was the greatest jumper of all time, he said Kumai without a doubt, I reckon Theo was a great judge, he told me Jim Houlahan said Crisp, just, from Kumai, how Jim saw Kumai is beyond me, but if thats not a wrap from the greatest jumps trainer ever I give up.

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1 hour ago, Joe Bloggs said:

I asked Theo Howe once who he thought was the greatest jumper of all time, he said Kumai without a doubt, I reckon Theo was a great judge, he told me Jim Houlahan said Crisp, just, from Kumai, how Jim saw Kumai is beyond me, but if thats not a wrap from the greatest jumps trainer ever I give up.

Was handy on the flat too from memory. Couple of Parliamentarys back in the day when that was a great race. Think BJ rode him in most if not all of his wins.

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Guest CrossCodes
23 minutes ago, The Centaur said:

Don't know what happened in the Northern but the injuries look serious.

 

Yeah it wasn’t a good day that was supposed to highlight the premier jumpers, sadly it’s what happens when the jumps aren’t actually jumps anymore.

When they were larger live fences there were far less falls and injuries as the horses actually had to jump them.

Now there are very few ‘true jumpers’, most are just flat horses that desperate trainers put over the hurdles to get some more dosh out of them.

Jumps racing won’t be around for too many more seasons sadly.

Lets hope all the fallen jockeys and horses come out of today unscathed, we know the jump riders are hard as nails.

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28 minutes ago, nomates said:

Have to say jumping here and Aus has become a bit MEH , with just Victoria going over there and our jumping shrinking like the rest of our racing i can see it being obsolete in the next 5-10 years .

Agree.    Sadly.   It's stuffed in the south, anyway, and has only been hanging on by a thread for a few years.

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6 hours ago, nomates said:

Have to say jumping here and Aus has become a bit MEH , with just Victoria going over there and our jumping shrinking like the rest of our racing i can see it being obsolete in the next 5-10 years .

Nope, it is MEH!

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Very sad to read the stipes report from yesterday, the demise of tough old galloper kaharau, what a great horse he has been through his career on the flat and lately over the jumps, one of my favourites, he never stopped trying, commiserations to the connections involved, who will be devastated by the loss,  of an old friend.

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Weird - I read an article early this morning which quoted the SA Jumps Racing Association who indicated that they would be exploring ways of getting jumps racing at Oakbank to continue.  Apparently a month ago SA Racing spent $120k on new hurdle panels.

When I went back just now to copy the article it has disappeared.  Perhaps someone was talking out of school.

 

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On 10/3/2021 at 3:39 PM, CrossCodes said:

Yeah it wasn’t a good day that was supposed to highlight the premier jumpers, sadly it’s what happens when the jumps aren’t actually jumps anymore.

When they were larger live fences there were far less falls and injuries as the horses actually had to jump them.

Now there are very few ‘true jumpers’, most are just flat horses that desperate trainers put over the hurdles to get some more dosh out of them.

Jumps racing won’t be around for too many more seasons sadly.

Lets hope all the fallen jockeys and horses come out of today unscathed, we know the jump riders are hard as nails.

I am pretty sure that all the steeplechase fences at Te Aroha are live fences and there was only one fall in the two steeplechase races which was Lacustre. 

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1 hour ago, Huey said:

Am I the only one who thinks the horse has already bolted?

 

https://loveracing.nz/RaceInfo/34737/Meeting-News-Article.aspx

They obviously feel this is the strong part of NZ racing , Turnover on these races must be propping up the rest of the industry . The only positive is that it is ATC money and not industry money , but geez i just don't get what we are seeing and they are missing .

Anybody with a promising 2yo needs to get him schooled up , it's the future .

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