Newmarket Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 The more i have thought about this, the more annoyed i get. Kumara, well great, it has one meeting each year that gets good crowds. But thats it, the town has little, no acommadation, no shops, even the pub has closed. The track is crap, with this meeting called off several times recently. NO WAY SHOULD THIS BE THE ONLY COAST TRACK! Hokitika must be the best option. Has created itself as a tourist attraction in recent years, plenty of shops, pubs and accomodation. Give all the coast dates to Hoki, update track etc, and you have races 4-5 times a year. If Hoki not best option, maybe Greymouth, but certainly not Kumara. Hoki Nuggets has a ring to it! Most trainers that race on the coast, race at all venues on the circuit, which is why many nth island trainers target the circuit. Why would they gamble coming to kumara for one meeting, with a chance meeting might not even go ahead. Coast needs a few meetings each year, otherwise racing will be lost forever. Lets all fight for it 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 You're quite right - IMO - Kumara the worst track with recent abandonments...the busloads of pissed punters will still turn up but the racing and facilities are shite, and there will be NO N.I representation for one day a year. No way can that course support four racedays - that's assuming the other clubs wish to race there. Hokitika, for one, would have a rip-roaring high-stakes day and tell the industry, see ya later. As for the other clubs maintaining facilities for horses to all race at Kumara...no way. You can call it parochialism, but in this instance at least, the climate and topography just don't lend themselves to multiple racedays on one track. Someone has given JM some bad advice, on this aspect at least. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CrossCodes Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Agree. It just does not make any sense at all, I love Kumara and have been there several times, including twice when it was abandoned, but would not risk the expense of ever going again due to the amount of abandonments they have. There has to be at least one track remain open on the coast, and like you have said Kumara would seem the most logical to close out of all of them, I cannot understand the reasoning behind this suggestion to keep it as the only one open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangatira Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Best harness track on the coast is westport why did the gallops vacate from there a number of years ago 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 Spot on Freda & Cross codes, I have been to Kumara several times too, and have enjoyed it. But each time we stayed in greymouth, and everyone commented that after the races, by the time you got back to greymouth, there was little to do. Which is why i thought Hoki better option, a bit more to do, and im sure if they did run nuggets, you could have calcutta day before, meet n great trainers & jockey lunch, even a barn dance or whatever. The crowds would come, think nuggets would turn out even better 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 As a West Coaster I firstly state my bias! Time for ALL WEST COAST RACING CLUBS to unite. They should get their heads together and work out innovative ways of continuing. I agree with Reefton that Kumara could still have raced if they had moved to another West Coast course. At the very least the circuit could remain as a summer holiday circuit. I'm sure many Canterbury trainers have taken their horses West for the education as opposed to chasing stakes. As someone who has worked with horses the travel, staying at different stables, the fresh air the increased noise (generally the horses are close to that action) can make a horse. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Absolutely, Chief. ...but it is already a 'summer holiday circuit '.....are you meaning that it should drop to a picnic-type designation.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 6 minutes ago, Rangatira said: Best harness track on the coast is westport why did the gallops vacate from there a number of years ago Been going to westport trots since mid 80s, never can remember gallops in that time. Someone a little older, or wiser may tell us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 1 minute ago, Freda said: Absolutely, Chief. ...but it is already a 'summer holiday circuit '.....are you meaning that it should drop to a picnic-type designation.? No not at all. I'm just saying it stay however if it ends up as a souped up trials circuit then that is an option. The unfortunate gotcha hiding in the authorities cabinet of tricks is Health and Safety. They could force so many requirements on the clubs that they'll struggle to fund them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 6 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: As a West Coaster I firstly state my bias! Time for ALL WEST COAST RACING CLUBS to unite. They should get their heads together and work out innovative ways of continuing. I agree with Reefton that Kumara could still have raced if they had moved to another West Coast course. At the very least the circuit could remain as a summer holiday circuit. I'm sure many Canterbury trainers have taken their horses West for the education as opposed to chasing stakes. As someone who has worked with horses the travel, staying at different stables, the fresh air the increased noise (generally the horses are close to that action) can make a horse. But i cant see the holiday circuit remaining. Somebody will tell us, but how many coast gallops meetings are run in the xmas season? Must be 6 or more in Jan, im not sure. Local harness guys will suffer too, usually have a couple of trot races held at some meetings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Just now, Newmarket said: But i cant see the holiday circuit remaining. Somebody will tell us, but how many coast gallops meetings are run in the xmas season? Must be 6 or more in Jan, im not sure. Local harness guys will suffer too, usually have a couple of trot races held at some meetings Oh the irony - do the people that attend these meetings look "old, stale and pale"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 14 minutes ago, Newmarket said: Spot on Freda & Cross codes, I have been to Kumara several times too, and have enjoyed it. But each time we stayed in greymouth, and everyone commented that after the races, by the time you got back to greymouth, there was little to do. Which is why i thought Hoki better option, a bit more to do, and im sure if they did run nuggets, you could have calcutta day before, meet n great trainers & jockey lunch, even a barn dance or whatever. The crowds would come, think nuggets would turn out even better Agree re. Hoki...great scenery, nice people, heaps of interesting shops/cafe's, much more to do - and the club has significant assets. That will be why it has been earmarked for closure as opposed to Kumara which is [ I think] leasehold land. Knowing some of the committee, hwever, there will be diddly squat chance that anyone else will get their undeserving mitts on their money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 2 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: No not at all. I'm just saying it stay however if it ends up as a souped up trials circuit then that is an option. The unfortunate gotcha hiding in the authorities cabinet of tricks is Health and Safety. They could force so many requirements on the clubs that they'll struggle to fund them. Why cant all the clubs contribute to one, spread costs of keeping one track, eg hoki up to scratch, they can still run their individual club meetings. Maybe build some sort of function centre at course, or at least flash area that they could lease out for other events. I think as long as one track is kept, either hoki or greymouth, it can work. Especially with 5kg whitebait to each winning owner!! Im in ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 5 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: Oh the irony - do the people that attend these meetings look "old, stale and pale"? Not sure what that refers to, But yes, if somebody hadnt come up with gold nuggets format years ago, kumara would probably have gone a long time ago. It needs a mix of oldies & newbies, remember they are the future, like it or not. Bit like Kaikoura, they plan weekend around races, even now added a few races day before as well as usuall calcutta type events, which i love, its what makes it for me, the effort the locals give is the reason us townies support them. I think the so called circuit is gone, but racing twice in a week, for good money at the same track, will still appeal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefton Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 Settle down you lot. There is not a decent course on the Coast and you all know it(as I do). None of them are big enough and Westand(Hoki) and Kumara are built on swamps and prone to cancellations. Neither are suitable centralisation prospects. Greymouth has the best facilities(industry funded back in the bad old days I might add) but since they 'renovated' the track it is stuffed as well. Reefton has the best track surface by far but it is far too small and too far away. Several years ago I suggested we ask the NZRB to fund a feasibility study into one decent track(at the time they had money for that sort of thing) with the pony clubs and the footy field and community facilities but nobody else was interested and it was no skin off my nose. You can lead a horse to water...... One certainty is Kumara is not the answer - they have no accommodation for the horses nor anywhere apart form the course proper for them to work. Winnie will have to spend a million building boxes and I ask you right now - its that wise use of industry funds? A great days racing sure but you can't have racing without horses. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefton Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 ironically many years ago Greymouth lent Kumara money to keep going. And extending Greymouth or Hokitika is out of the question. Both have steep banks at various points around their perimeters. Winnie ain't got his little plans past the line yet I have said it before and I will say it again - NZ racing needs to seize control back and set up its own gaming agency Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 What's your definition of "decent course" Reefton? Can't be Te Rapa or Ellerslie or Awapuni...... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 I understand that reefton, but why say kumara is staying, yet other tracks with towns more set up for the racing crowds are going, if all the tracks are on par? Hoki is turning into more of a tourist spot everytime i visit, its got that kaikoura, hanmer & akaroa feel to it. So looking at it from an investment, its better to spend money on getting hoki track & buildings up to spec, rather than kumara, which is a ghost town. Whichever track gets thumbs up, its gonna cost s bit to get up to scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 One thing you have to remember Newmarket is that the West Coast is very territorial! Note how Reefton called Hokitika "Westland"? There are four or five "provinces" on the West Coast!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 4 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: One thing you have to remember Newmarket is that the West Coast is very territorial! Note how Reefton called Hokitika "Westland"? There are four or five "provinces" on the West Coast!! Yes, i see where your coming from. But if the clubs are not keen to work together, well they cant complain when coast racing is gone forever. Would be a shame if they couldnt work together. Sometimes in life you gotta take a step back before taking two steps forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poisoned Dwarf Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 West Coast racing needs to be kept alive, if only for one reason. If there wasn't racing on the Coast, leo molloy might have been totally lost to the industry ! Retaining the West Coast circuit might produce another ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarket Posted August 31, 2018 Author Share Posted August 31, 2018 2 minutes ago, Poisoned Dwarf said: West Coast racing needs to be kept alive, if only for one reason. If there wasn't racing on the Coast, leo molloy might have been totally lost to the industry ! Retaining the West Coast circuit might produce another ? Firpo did more for coast racing than he did. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangatira Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 5 minutes ago, Newmarket said: Firpo did more for coast racing than he did. last race was at westport in the cup 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefton Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 26 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: What's your definition of "decent course" Reefton? Can't be Te Rapa or Ellerslie or Awapuni...... I thought something about the size of Cromwell - 1800m with chutes for 1200m, 1600m and maybe 2200m starts Give you a good view of proceedings and down by the beach so it was free draining. Good wide track with a trotting track inside I am sure Te Rapa, Awapuni and Ellerslie are doing their best but they have a habit of getting 'experts' in who cock everything up. That is the problem in all facets of life - the minute a 'consultant' is hired there will be a balls up. Anyway us attacking the remaining clubs will not do any good 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 31, 2018 Share Posted August 31, 2018 2 minutes ago, Reefton said: I thought something about the size of Cromwell - 1800m with chutes for 1200m, 1600m and maybe 2200m starts Give you a good view of proceedings and down by the beach so it was free draining. Good wide track with a trotting track inside I am sure Te Rapa, Awapuni and Ellerslie are doing their best but they have a habit of getting 'experts' in who cock everything up. That is the problem in all facets of life - the minute a 'consultant' is hired there will be a balls up. Anyway us attacking the remaining clubs will not do any good I wasn't attacking the remaining tracks just pointing out the hypocrisy. Hokitika has been OK since 1884. Whey does it need to be changed? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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