Riccarton Noms

[mikeynz]

Maybe shifting the jumps racing to Whanganui could make sense.

[nomates]

34 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

Maybe shifting the jumps racing to Whanganui could make sense.

Certainly save K T Myers the expense of travelling , although CJC should be stumping up for his travelling costs as not Myers no Nationals .

[Freda]

We'll see, I guess.

[Bid]

1 hour ago, Freda said:

You know - a thought - Kevin Myers could guarantee numbers for next year [ not being anywhere akin to his nickname ]  and the continuation of the Nationals here for a year or two more at least, and end up taking home the thick end of the not inconsiderable stakemoney.

Not a bad week's business with no opposition.

 

Let's get in on this then, sounds easy.  I'll find a horse or two, someone else run the syndicate. 

[curious]

4 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

They're still discussing it and have just stopped for lunch.  They'll be back at 2pm.

Still at lunch? Doesn't seem like it should be that complicated.

[nomates]

The jumpers are having a bad run at the moment , the Rotorua /BOP Hunt meeting on the 21st has been canned due to the on going repair work to the track after the last abandonment , NZTR looking at alternatives , is there any jumps venues left in the NI that can run the meeting .

[Freda]

On 2/08/2022 at 1:09 PM, nomates said:

Well Mills and NZTR should be paying all expenses for one K T Myers , 16 horses nom's across 3 races and 12 trained by Myers . Scary , and only 3 other trainers with jumpers at the meeting . Absolutely none from the north of the NI . 

If ever there was a window into the future of jumping in NZ this is it .

We down south have already looked through that window.  

Have to accept jumping is finished.

In all honesty, racing jumping doesn't appeal to Joe Public like it used to.   With an increasingly urban-based population, the prospect of horses becoming exhausted, dropping out a good distance from the finish, falling, just doesn't appeal.   And V'Landy's has made a huge success of NSW racing without jumping.

[Freda]

On 2/08/2022 at 2:47 PM, Doomed said:

Perhaps even sadder than the jumps situation is the 3yo situation. We always knew the jumps would struggle, and of course that 3yo race always struggles as well.

Just out of interest I went back to 1987. The Haldon Plate, run one week before the Nationals for maiden 2yos, was split into two separate races; one of 10 starters and one with 12. Then they ran 3yo races on the 1st and 3rd days of National week with 8 and 10 starters respectively. 40 starters in 2/3yo races over two weeks. Only six noms this week.

It is inevitable jumps racing will die off, but surely 2yo and 3yo racing struggling is a big worry. I thought we had lots of syndicates these days and they wanted instant gratification.

For all of the highly paid administrators employed in the head offices, the industry really does appear to be totally leaderless.

And as others have suggested, once ChCh loses the Nationals the two big Guineas races will follow very quickly, within two years I would say. Is the CJC too thick to realise any of this?

Interesting look-back.

Remember, there used to be handicap two year old races at nearly every meeting, country or otherwise, as well as the stakes-rated Welcome, Challenge and Champagne stakes here in Canterbury.

Now, there are so few dedicated two year old contests, it is quite difficult to give your youngster a race or two 'for next year'  if it isn't able to take in one of the few available, for various reasons.    

That is a potent disincentive to purchase nicely-bred yearlings specifically for early racing.

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, Freda said:

In all honesty, racing jumping doesn't appeal to Joe Public like it used to.   With an increasingly urban-based population, the prospect of horses becoming exhausted, dropping out a good distance from the finish, falling, just doesn't appeal. 

Same description applies to flat racing.

The only difference now is you'll have horses to rehome sooner to appease the mythical Urban protester.

Jumps racing disappearing from the South was flagged years ago when the CJC started to neglect the Steeplechase course.  Brown top or no brown top.

Again the industry participants let it happen.

As an aside I'd love to know how much the CJC and NZTR spent promoting the National Jumps meetings.

Woops we forgot to have the horses!

As the temperature drops, our jumps racing stars are just warming up! With nerves of steel and a taste for adrenaline, watch our lionhearts go to battle this winter. Doused in courage, bravery and exhilaration, there’ll be slogging finishes, gallant performances and heroic triumphs. It’s time to celebrate our jumps racing, so dig out your tweed, your tartan and your trilby and get amongst the action track side.

[Chief Stipe]

1 hour ago, Freda said:

Interesting look-back.

Remember, there used to be handicap two year old races at nearly every meeting, country or otherwise, as well as the stakes-rated Welcome, Challenge and Champagne stakes here in Canterbury.

Now, there are so few dedicated two year old contests, it is quite difficult to give your youngster a race or two 'for next year'  if it isn't able to take in one of the few available, for various reasons.    

That is a potent disincentive to purchase nicely-bred yearlings specifically for early racing.

Two year old races in August are a crime.

[Doomed]

2 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Two year old races in August are a crime.

They don't have 2yo races in August down south. The 2yos suddenly become 3yos on 1 Aug. I notice they do have 2yo trials already in the north though.

[mikeynz]

Looks like the Northeners ain't interested in the synthetic track judging by nominations for day 2.

[Freda]

3 hours ago, mikeynz said:

Looks like the Northeners ain't interested in the synthetic track judging by nominations for day 2.

Why would  'northerners'  want to come down specially for an AWT when they have one at Cambridge?

[curious]

No. I didn't see any 'southerners' in at Cambridge the other day either.

[curious]

10 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Two year old races in August are a crime.

Why? You'd prevent your 10yo child from playing sport against their own age group?

[mikeynz]

 

25 minutes ago, curious said:

No. I didn't see any 'southerners' in at Cambridge the other day either.

Slightly different as it's a 3 day meeting.

Edited August 5, 2022 by mikeynz

[curious]

It's a 1 day AWT meeting if you look.

[Doomed]

I find it very unfortunate that they have a high profile AWT meeting with decent stakes and they don't consider it an opportunity to reward those who have been supporting the AWT racing all winter. Only one race rated higher than 65, and that a 2,200m race. It would have been nice to reward the better class sprinters and milers that have been turning out for $12,000 a time. After this week they will suddenly expect the rating 74s to turn up for $14,000. Seems weird to me,, and a lost opportunity.

[Chief Stipe]

3 hours ago, curious said:

Why? You'd prevent your 10yo child from playing sport against their own age group?

It's not about their "age group" it's about where they are physically.

I wouldn't ask my 10 yr old child to run 1500m on 6 weeks training, carrying 55kg on a shit track.

[curious]

I think you are missing the point chief. I've seen plenty of 10yos running cross country events on tracks far worse than Riccarton is likely to provide today over much more than 1600m. I think you'll find that most August 2 year olds have begun their preparations at least 6 months before, say March, perhaps with a break in between, The 2yo year is an important period for musculoskeletal and mental development and having a race or 2 is a significant milestone in that process.