Dates structure not helping Wellington???

[Reefton]

Good stakes day at Wellington this weekend and to be fair pretty full fields too

But traditionally this was a carnival where the best of the South could and did turn up to compete with the North's best.  By this time of year the likes of Pitty's team were at their best and usually competitive with the Northerners(even managed to win a race on Cup day myself a few years back)

But the bloody dates now multiple feature days in the south in a row mean what is the incentive to take a Southern horse north.  May as well stay home and race for stakes not that much inferior with probably a better chance of getting a big chunk.

So not only has the Karaka Millions scheduling done its best to wreck the Wellington Cup Carnival(for years generally considered the best weeks racing in NZ) now the Southern dates schedule is attacking it from the other direction.

I was the head of the WRC I would be rather irate at this point.  They have destroyed one of the Jewels in the Crown of NZ racing

I'm not noted for being sympathetic to the big Clubs but come on guys!

 

 

 

[nomates]

12 minutes ago, Reefton said:

I was the head of the WRC I would be rather irate at this point.  They have destroyed one of the Jewels in the Crown of NZ racing

 

They have brought it on themselves , have been piss weak in allowing themselves to be pushed around , allowed some changes to get some stupid concessions i.e. getting the cup back to 2 miles .

I have said this for a long time , our industry isn't big enough for carnivals anymore , we should be having regular stand alone BIG days , and then true ICONIC days , say once every 6 or 8 weeks , with the big days positioned in between the iconic days as preludes to the iconic meeting , all other Saturday race days run as premier days , no maidens , or in the winter amatuer races . 

[Joe Bloggs]

8 minutes ago, nomates said:

They have brought it on themselves , have been piss weak in allowing themselves to be pushed around , allowed some changes to get some stupid concessions i.e. getting the cup back to 2 miles .

I have said this for a long time , our industry isn't big enough for carnivals anymore , we should be having regular stand alone BIG days , and then true ICONIC days , say once every 6 or 8 weeks , with the big days positioned in between the iconic days as preludes to the iconic meeting , all other Saturday race days run as premier days , no maidens , or in the winter amatuer races . 

Stop it, you'll go blind.

[Chief Stipe]

9 minutes ago, nomates said:

our industry isn't big enough for carnivals anymore

Let alone the fact that there isn't one metro track in NZ that can sustain more than two days racing.

[Reefton]

4 minutes ago, nomates said:

They have brought it on themselves , have been piss weak in allowing themselves to be pushed around , allowed some changes to get some stupid concessions i.e. getting the cup back to 2 miles .

I have said this for a long time , our industry isn't big enough for carnivals anymore , we should be having regular stand alone BIG days , and then true ICONIC days , say once every 6 or 8 weeks , with the big days positioned in between the iconic days as preludes to the iconic meeting , all other Saturday race days run as premier days , no maidens , or in the winter amatuer races . 

You are probably right re the letting themselves be pushed around but....  Those sale boys clearly hold a lot of sway.

That carnival was always such good racing with three days in a week.  And really provided there are not too many carnivals I think we can sustain them.  That was such a highlight like the NZ Cup Carnival and really The Auckland Boxing Day/New Years day deal(whether the March week is as good?????

All these feature days in the South are becoming ho hum.  They ought to be something to look forward to not just another day at the races(and given the feature and premier day attendances all over the country they are certainly just another day at the races)

 

[nomates]

8 minutes ago, Joe Bloggs said:

Stop it, you'll go blind.

too late , always bumping into shit all the time so may as well keep on .

[curious]

2 hours ago, Reefton said:

All these feature days in the South are becoming ho hum. 

All?

How many in the last 3 months in Canterbury?

[Reefton]

2 hours ago, curious said:

All?

How many in the last 3 months in Canterbury?

100% correct.  Outrageous to have a ten week break at the peak of summer

[curious]

37 minutes ago, Reefton said:

100% correct.  Outrageous to have a ten week break at the peak of summer

Definitely be ho hum if you don't have any and we wait to see if the Riccarton track is up to it for later this month or next month.

Edited January 12, 2023 by curious

[Freda]

13 hours ago, nomates said:

They have brought it on themselves , have been piss weak in allowing themselves to be pushed around , allowed some changes to get some stupid concessions i.e. getting the cup back to 2 miles .

I have said this for a long time , our industry isn't big enough for carnivals anymore , we should be having regular stand alone BIG days , and then true ICONIC days , say once every 6 or 8 weeks , with the big days positioned in between the iconic days as preludes to the iconic meeting , all other Saturday race days run as premier days , no maidens , or in the winter amatuer races . 

Agree wrt Wellington.     They have made some awful decisions, or been coerced into them, either way they have stuffed what was a fantastic carnival.

But I disagree with NM about carnivals,   I think they work - provided that due attention is given to timing etc.   And programming/dates are a huge issue in that respect.  For starters, having three or more days at one venue, or close by, justifies the expense for both horses and connections to actually make the trip.   Add that to a decent club [a few left ? ]  making efforts to provide packages/discounts to visitors for accommodation, meals, and transport costs, and the whole thing becomes viable.

I'm referring to both sorts of 'carnivals' too, the top-end ones such as the Cup meetings at Wellington, Riccarton, Auckland as they USED to be, as well as the country holiday circuits.

I recall a particular comment from a former regular poster about Gisborne/ Wairoa being 'too costly'  'a waste of time' 'get rid of them'.  I presume he was referring to floating costs, I hope he is pleased to now transport his horse to a borefest of a nothing meeting at Hastings.

[curious]

2 hours ago, Freda said:

Agree wrt Wellington.     They have made some awful decisions, or been coerced into them, either way they have stuffed what was a fantastic carnival.

But I disagree with NM about carnivals,   I think they work - provided that due attention is given to timing etc.   And programming/dates are a huge issue in that respect.  For starters, having three or more days at one venue, or close by, justifies the expense for both horses and connections to actually make the trip.   Add that to a decent club [a few left ? ]  making efforts to provide packages/discounts to visitors for accommodation, meals, and transport costs, and the whole thing becomes viable.

I'm referring to both sorts of 'carnivals' too, the top-end ones such as the Cup meetings at Wellington, Riccarton, Auckland as they USED to be, as well as the country holiday circuits.

I recall a particular comment from a former regular poster about Gisborne/ Wairoa being 'too costly'  'a waste of time' 'get rid of them'.  I presume he was referring to floating costs, I hope he is pleased to now transport his horse to a borefest of a nothing meeting at Hastings.

Agree. Bought a horse 2 or 3 years back after retirement and 8 years on the sideline in the hope of enjoying one more trip to Wairoa, Marlborough, the coast or similar even if I had to haul it there myself, but since then, all those circuits are buggered. My annual New Year trips to Ellerslie always taking new people to introduce to the game were long since buggered. Never had one good enough to race there or similar. Horse is still going around but after that, I'm out. This time forever.

Edited January 12, 2023 by curious

[Shad]

Anyone know the turnover for the kumara races.

[Special Agent]

I think Reefton said Wednesday night's Grey Star said something like off course turnovers for Marton and Kumara were both around $2.4K and Kumara oncourse was about $236K and Marton $35K.

[Peanut]

WRC are their own worst enemy.  I actually dont begrudge the Country clubs that have a gate charge but allow BYO booze and food but to charge $50 General admission on Cup Day and then probably $10 for a warm beer and the same for a cold pie is taking the piss. 

[Bloke]

In a few years the WRC will follow Auckland who this year is providing free general admission for The Auckland Cup. 

Auckland has done a marginally better job in chasing away the general punter than Wellington thanks to their star CEO Weaver who was supported by his right-hand man, The Fat Butcher. They were followed by "Boy George" who was of the same ilk.

However, after this year's Cup Day those few remaining soles should finally realise that they are being crapped on.

[Special Agent]

Watering of the track leading into Saturday will be interesting.  It's a matter of when the rain will hit Wellington, before or after the meeting.  Getting this equation right may be tricky.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Special Agent

[curious]

4 hours ago, Special Agent said:

Watering of the track leading into Saturday will be interesting.  It's a matter of when the rain will hit Wellington, before or after the meeting.  Getting this equation right may be tricky.

I don't really understand why it needs to be tricky. It's not rocket science is it?

[nomates]

9 minutes ago, curious said:

I don't really understand why it needs to be tricky. It's not rocket science is it?

It's not , but they bloody well make look like it is .

[Special Agent]

2 hours ago, curious said:

I don't really understand why it needs to be tricky. It's not rocket science is it?

Obviously you have forgotten the slips and abandonments in CD. Trickiness has nothing to do with science.  Tricky = human error.

[curious]

4 hours ago, Special Agent said:

Watering of the track leading into Saturday will be interesting.  It's a matter of when the rain will hit Wellington, before or after the meeting.  Getting this equation right may be tricky.

I don't really understand why it needs to be tricky. It's not rocket science is it?