Geelong Synthetic Goner?

[Mark D]

Heard Terry Bailey say today before the 1st at Geelong that it was the last on the synthetic for the year and maybe forever.  Anyone know why that would be?  Never been very successful and could be lessons to learn for NZ planning to build 3!

[hesi]

Geelong synthetic track to close as Ballarat joins Pakenham as second venue

GEELONG, the course which pioneered all weather racing in this state, will cease racing on its synthetic track after September this year.

MICHAEL MANLEY

Herald SunFEBRUARY 22, 20183:51PM

Black Caviar's foal Oscietra wins Race 3 number 11 @2pm at Geelong racing in the Hanlon Industries Maiden Plate 1000m on the synthetic track. Picture: Alan BarberSource:News Corp Australia

GEELONG, the course which pioneered all weather racing in this state, will cease racing on its synthetic track after September this year.

Racing Victoria announced on Thursday that the two tracks which would hold synthetic racing from 2019 would be Pakenham and Ballarat, which would replace Geelong.

RV’s Jamie McGuiness said they had conducted a 12-month review into whether Geelong, Ballarat and Kilmore would get approval as the second course.

“Ballarat was chosen due its central location, its proximity to a larger percentage of the state’s racehorse population and its strong local training numbers,” McGuiness said.

He added that the Ballarat track shape and size was also an advantage over the incumbent track at Geelong.

He said the Geelong synthetic track needed to be replaced at the end of this year due to wear and tear.

Ballarat Turf Club chief executive Lachlan McKenzie said Ballarat’s selection was a watershed moment for the club.

Geelong’s synthetic track will close permanently to competitive racing in early spring.Source:Supplied

He said they would build a synthetic track on its 1950m inner track and planned to start holding meetings there in May or June next year.

He said they would also pour resources into fixing the camber problems on the outer grass track before they started building the new track.

Geelong was the first track in Victoria to conduct an all weather meeting in 2007 on the Thoroughtrack which was later replaced by the synthetic track.

Black Caviar's foal Oscietra wins her first race on the Geelong synthetic track. Picture: Alan BarberSource:News Corp Australia

Geelong Racing Club chief executive Daniel Salter said it was a disappointing result but he was hoping that they will be able to hold four to six meetings a year on a new inner grass track, which would replace the synthetic track.

Troy Corstens, who has just opened stables at Geelong with his father Leon, said he was disappointed the Geelong synthetic track would shutdown.

He said they were committed to the track and didn’t move there because of the synthetic track.

Long-time local trainer Jamie Edwards said he was pleased the track would be ripped up.

“It has devalued the Geelong brand with so many meetings on what wasn’t a good track,” Edwards said.

“Hopefully Geelong can now have 26 or 27 meetings on the grass track as it used to and get back to establishing itself as a premium country racetrack which it was 20 years ago when I moved here.”

Originally published as Geelong synthetic track to close

[Rowley Mile]

Here's a tip for you lot, you want to back winners? just back David Hayes INC horses on any of the synthetics, they hardly ever miss, he's an outstanding advocate for the tracks.

[theshu]

i beleive he has a track at home which is identical to the pakenham all weather track,so if they back one of his first starters,you know it can handle the all weather crap tracks.personally i wouldnt ever bet at the all weather crap tracks and as far as i am aware,not a lot of others can be bothered betting on them either.

 

[Rowley Mile]

12 minutes ago, theshu said:

i beleive he has a track at home which is identical to the pakenham all weather track,so if they back one of his first starters,you know it can handle the all weather crap tracks.personally i wouldnt ever bet at the all weather crap tracks and as far as i am aware,not a lot of others can be bothered betting on them either.

 

You are right and you are wrong Shu, they have become a major target for the whales betting through the Corps......I love betting on those tracks, the horses that show form on them, keep showing form, the track at Geelong is different to Pakenham, so that has to be watched, but you watch, when the money goes on, they mostly win, or at least go close......and when David trained at Lindsay Park SA.....they had an uphill 1000m track, so when he bought his first staters or CSH for that matter, to M Valley or Sandown, or Flemington straight 5 or 6 especially,.... they just won......they just do it right that stable, always have, always will.

[gee]

2 hours ago, Rowley Mile said:

You are right and you are wrong Shu, they have become a major target for the whales betting through the Corps......I love betting on those tracks, the horses that show form on them, keep showing form, the track at Geelong is different to Pakenham, so that has to be watched, but you watch, when the money goes on, they mostly win, or at least go close......and when David trained at Lindsay Park SA.....they had an uphill 1000m track, so when he bought his first staters or CSH for that matter, to M Valley or Sandown, or Flemington straight 5 or 6 especially,.... they just won......they just do it right that stable, always have, always will.

he only does it as he  doesn't  venture much to wet tracks often  ,   so gives more options    they have   a  1950  one at there  euroa property that is the same as  geelong   was done virtually same tome hence all bar wet trackers  go in it  

 

 

none of the ones  they have  are worth a tin of shit  there a a handful of trainers that go on them 120  noms   comared 700 odd for grass   

[gee]

and dont see ballarat going be any better for horses 

[Rowley Mile]

Gee, there's 700 noms because VIC has canned so many Sat races......there used to be up to 8 Sat meetings inc the Non TAB's......I know, we used to tow ours from Flemington to as far as Donald once......Non TAB, only 5/6K in prize money, but a bookies ring of at least 20, you could get set for thousands...not now.....VIC racing is not healthy, they have canned those race meetings so they can pay huge prize money in town, and pay back to 10th......there administration is so top heavy with huge salaries, totally overstaffed and underworked....sound familiar?.......NZ has gone same way........disaster!

[mardigras]

35 minutes ago, gee said:

none of the ones  they have  are worth a tin of shit  there a a handful of trainers that go on them 120  noms   comared 700 odd for grass   

I think your nom numbers are a bit out generally. Most Vic meetings get 200 - 350. And Pakenham tomorrow have 249 and Geelong last Friday had 185. Although I'm not entirely sure what the number of noms means for the industry. 

I'd rather bet on a synthetic than any NZ track. And so would the majority of Australasian punters.

[gee]

On 23/09/2018 at 4:11 PM, mardigras said:

I think your nom numbers are a bit out generally. Most Vic meetings get 200 - 350. And Pakenham tomorrow have 249 and Geelong last Friday had 185. Although I'm not entirely sure what the number of noms means for the industry. 

I'd rather bet on a synthetic than any NZ track. And so would the majority of Australasian punters.

 

On 23/09/2018 at 4:08 PM, Rowley Mile said:

Gee, there's 700 noms because VIC has canned so many Sat races......there used to be up to 8 Sat meetings inc the Non TAB's......I know, we used to tow ours from Flemington to as far as Donald once......Non TAB, only 5/6K in prize money, but a bookies ring of at least 20, you could get set for thousands...not now.....VIC racing is not healthy, they have canned those race meetings so they can pay huge prize money in town, and pay back to 10th......there administration is so top heavy with huge salaries, totally overstaffed and underworked....sound familiar?.......NZ has gone same way........disaster!

that  might be the case   but most are  looking for  wet tracks   we sat  20th on the ballot twice  in a maiden race  

[gee]

On 23/09/2018 at 4:11 PM, mardigras said:

I think your nom numbers are a bit out generally. Most Vic meetings get 200 - 350. And Pakenham tomorrow have 249 and Geelong last Friday had 185. Although I'm not entirely sure what the number of noms means for the industry. 

I'd rather bet on a synthetic than any NZ track. And so would the majority of Australasian punters.

 

 

  well i can tell you there   were  90  noms  for  most races carded early in the winter   for  grass tracks 

 

 

and    hence  so many go to nsw   with there horses  

[mardigras]

So you claim. Perhaps you can give an example of '90 noms for most races carded early in the winter'?

Is the 16th of June early winter. Moonee Valley 272 noms for 9 races. Sale on the 14th June 333 noms. Mornington 11th June 378 noms. 10th June Swan Hill 9 races 350 noms.

15th June Geelong Synthetic 307 noms. 12th June Pakenham 291 noms

"Most races" you say. Give us an example. I'm happy to tell you how many noms there were.

 

 

[mardigras]

They certainly don't seem to mind running more expensive horses on the synthetics in the UK. Habub wins earlier, a $700,000 buy in its first start - on the synthetic.

And of course there is one of the current favs for the Melbourne Cup who last won on the synthetic.

[gee]

4 hours ago, mardigras said:

They certainly don't seem to mind running more expensive horses on the synthetics in the UK. Habub wins earlier, a $700,000 buy in its first start - on the synthetic.

And of course there is one of the current favs for the Melbourne Cup who last won on the synthetic.

theres are all weathers  similar to Mooney valley  

[gee]

16 hours ago, mardigras said:

So you claim. Perhaps you can give an example of '90 noms for most races carded early in the winter'?

Is the 16th of June early winter. Moonee Valley 272 noms for 9 races. Sale on the 14th June 333 noms. Mornington 11th June 378 noms. 10th June Swan Hill 9 races 350 noms.

15th June Geelong Synthetic 307 noms. 12th June Pakenham 291 noms

"Most races" you say. Give us an example. I'm happy to tell you how many noms there were.  

 

 

thursday   19   july  wen  our girl raced  on grass  there were 42  noms in each of the maiden races   495   noms all up and there were higher before and after those dates  do you really   want it like  aus running   every day of the week  or second day on synthetics  ,    what  are trainers going do  when they want wet track to race on and no lead up races on wet tracks  

 

 

  i have   horses with three  top  trainers in  aus  that all think  its  ridiculously  try  set plans for a wet tracker in aus  

Edited September 25, 2018 by gee

[gee]

two  of our horses went to    nsw just for that very reason

[mardigras]

18 minutes ago, gee said:

theres are all weathers  similar to Mooney valley  

Are they? Well bugger me. Since they are the same as Pakenham. And not the same as MV. Who knew? Clearly not you.

[mardigras]

13 minutes ago, gee said:

two  of our horses went to    nsw just for that very reason

I'm not disputing your dislike of synthetic tracks or your need to shift your horses elsewhere. I'm disputing your claims re nominations, which so far, you have put up nothing to support those claims.

[mardigras]

33 minutes ago, gee said:

thursday   19   july  wen  our girl raced  on grass  there were 42  noms in each of the maiden races   495   noms all up and there were higher before and after those dates  do you really   want it like  aus running   every day of the week  or second day on synthetics  ,    what  are trainers going do  when they want wet track to race on and no lead up races on wet tracks  

 

 

  i have   horses with three  top  trainers in  aus  that all think  its  ridiculously  try  set plans for a wet tracker in aus  

Well 42 noms is not quite the same as 90. You claimed 'most'. All I stated was that your numbers were well beyond the norm. Eg Wodonga on the 14th had 333 noms.

I don't really care about whether they race on All weather tracks or not. They serve a purpose. There is ample opportunity to run on grass. But running on grass in Oz doesn't necessarily mean running on a wet track like it does here in those months.

And clearly enough people are happy to race there and enough people are happy to bet there. If we could get 1/5 of the turnover on grass that they get on the synthetics, we might be going OK.

And I haven't advocated running those types of synthetics in NZ either. If people don't like them, don't race on them and don't bet on them. Easy.

 

Edited September 26, 2018 by mardigras