Warning required

[Unhinged]

Yip here we go again,  just got off the phone to I'd say mid level punter, puts about 1,000 to 2,000 thru the tote on average. He had six bets at Motukarara on Sunday for a first ,third , fourth and three that  didn't make the crossing.  He accepts he is talking thru his wallet but how does our industry expect to attract serious punters with substandard  tracks.  Should there be a warning when placing a bet at some of our tracks?

[Rangatira]

1 hour ago, Unhinged said:

 just got off the phone to I'd say mid level punter, puts about 1,000 to 2,000 thru the tote on average.

is that per meeting ?

[the galah]

Do you think they need to smooth it out a bit? What did  your stables driver have to say about it?I have often wondered why they don't put on it, a small layer of whats on the inside track,level it out with the level they have,then put the grass clippings over the top. I guess when you have had a bit of rain like canterbury did over the winter,that it pools in the low spots of areas like a crossing,and when it dries out the slight dip is accentuated. You just have to look after it rains a bit to see whether crossings on any track are smooth or not. The rest of the track looked to be in great order?

[Unhinged]

58 minutes ago, Rangatira said:

is that per meeting ?

Yes

[Unhinged]

37 minutes ago, the galah said:

Do you think they need to smooth it out a bit? What did  your stables driver have to say about it?I have often wondered why they don't put on it, a small layer of whats on the inside track,level it out with the level they have,then put the grass clippings over the top. I guess when you have had a bit of rain like canterbury did over the winter,that it pools in the low spots of areas like a crossing,and when it dries out the slight dip is accentuated. You just have to look after it rains a bit to see whether crossings on any track are smooth or not. The rest of the track looked to be in great order?

I don't know what the answer is ,on Friday I'll ask John Dunn his opinion but I do know it effected one of his drives. For the average punter probably not the end of the world but how much turnover is lost to people being put off. I Certainly don't put large bets on at mot unless the horse has good course form.

[Brodie]

6 hours ago, Unhinged said:

Yip here we go again,  just got off the phone to I'd say mid level punter, puts about 1,000 to 2,000 thru the tote on average. He had six bets at Motukarara on Sunday for a first ,third , fourth and three that  didn't make the crossing.  He accepts he is talking thru his wallet but how does our industry expect to attract serious punters with substandard  tracks.  Should there be a warning when placing a bet at some of our tracks?

Yes from watching the replays The Crossing was diabolical.

Lets just chuck some loose grass on top of the gravel that should be fine!!!!!!!

This has come up regularly on many of our grass tracks and nothing surer it will turn punters off and away from racing!

HRNZ are extremely quiet at the moment and I do not believe at all,  that betting turnover on harness racing is healthy!

Punters are fleeing.

[mikeynz]

That crossing at Gore is a shocker yet a perfectly smooth all weather track sits idle, those crossings turn the race into a lottery.

[the galah]

57 minutes ago, Brodie said:

 

Lets just chuck some loose grass on top of the gravel that should be fine!!!!!!!

 

If you have a look at that or other crossings they are just compacted dirt.I have never seen any gravel on one.

The horses go from a surface with give in it to a very hard surface for a stride back to the grass in the next stride.I don't think it  seems to worry them much,but where you can see them lose rhythm or confidence is if they may drop slightly in that stride they take on the crossing due to the crossing being slightly lower,or if the driver of the horse in front of them seems to bounce a bit as the sulky then rises again over the bump as it goes back to grass.Thats how it works i think. 

[Unhinged]

3 minutes ago, mikeynz said:

That crossing at Gore is a shocker yet a perfectly smooth all weather track sits idle, those crossings turn the race into a lottery.

I can't think of the track but there is one up north that takes the cake, personally don't bet on North Island grass track harness the crossings make it impossible to have any confidence. 

[Rangatira]

10 hours ago, Unhinged said:

I can't think of the track but there is one up north that takes the cake, personally don't bet on North Island grass track harness the crossings make it impossible to have any confidence. 

Parawai had a crossing about the 500m mark and a hump/crossing just into the straight.

Seldom dull at the Thames grass track trots.

Edited September 28, 2022 by Rangatira

[Michael]

This has been an issue for years

It should be an easy fix

The Stipes should go out in a car a couple of hours before a meeting starts and drive over the crossing at 50km's per hour

If their head hits the car roof there's an issue and they should tell the caretaker to get the tractor with the grader out and fix the hump(s)

Pretty simple stuff

Mike

 

 

[mikeynz]

5 hours ago, Michael said:

This has been an issue for years

It should be an easy fix

The Stipes should go out in a car a couple of hours before a meeting starts and drive over the crossing at 50km's per hour

If their head hits the car roof there's an issue and they should tell the caretaker to get the tractor with the grader out and fix the hump(s)

Pretty simple stuff

Mike

 

 

Maybe if their heads dont hit the roof at 50 km then try 80 kmhs