Harness Racing in New Zealand looks destined to become a Thursday - Sunday sport.

[Duane Ranger]

Why?

Read more here:
http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=90757

[eljay]

Is this a "toe in the door" by the ARC who want to run Friday twilight meetings over the summer? They have made no secret of the fact they desire this which no doubt would be directed at the Corporate Market. And the largely Thoroughbred orientated (and run) racing board will no doubt go along with this and direct the ATC to move meetings to either Thursday, Saturday (most likely) or Sunday daytime.
The only real positive with this new Thoroughbred initiated dates proposal is that it gives Cambridge the option of racing either Thursday nights or Sunday afternoons and looking at the lack of attendances at present, one would hope they opt for Sunday, especially over the winter months and hope that this will halt this problem. It"s all very well to say the clubs exist on off course turnover which may be a band aid solution but looking at at the sharp decline in turnovers this outlook looks to have already kicked in because unless people are introduced to the sport to the point of them showing enough interest to go to a TAB or attend on course, the interest will continue to wane and consequently turnovers.
And watch out for the Thoroughbreds with their increase in exporting their races to sooner rather than later want a revue of clause 16.

[Don Corleone]

While I see advantages to the new proposed scheme, I am always weary when the dominated thoroughbred board gives harness racing something. Call me a cynic but with nearly 40 years in the game its what I have become when the powers to be say "this will be good for the industry".

[ambrose]

Why?

Read more here:
http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=90757
i can see n.z. harness becoming a satellite part of australian harness racing , the state govts. there are prepared to put money into the game , while our lot loses out on the 1st. august 2011

[Don Corleone]

Having now read and attended a couple of meetings with HRNZ on the new structures that will be put in place regarding the new dates etc, I believe that there are more positives then negatives. NZTR in the guise of the RIB are again grasping at straws and I think you will find they may have tugged on the wrong rein once more. The benefits to Harness won't be known till June/July next year but I can tell you one thing, they won't be as bad as they would of been if we remained with the status quo.

Ambrose - I think your right about us being a satellite for Aust harness racing. But we have been that for a long time now. And really is it so bad?

[ambrose]

no i don't think it is a bad idea , but it saddens me and probably others to see the likes of mark purdon and maybe others moving off shore , and waiting until late at night to see good horses racing in oz. only time will tell

[Don Corleone]

I know what you mean ambrose. I too get a bit sick of waiting late at night to see good fields/horses race. It saddens me also that our top echelon of trainers will be heading over the ditch. Having said that, from where I live, it's cheaper/quicker getting to Sydney or Melbourne than Auckland. My night job is in the health sector and over the years I have watched hundreds of highly credentialed professionals leave for Aust also. The cream of our crop. If I was younger I might be following them.