We still have our old lap number boards and easel in storage at Warragul
Printable View
Tickets were sold on the night Kyle. I believe that area is called 'The Flat'. We attended the meeting and watched the racing from various points around the track. The Flat was our favourite vantage point. The view back to the main grandstand and the noise generated from there - particularly when Greg Sugars drove Heza Presidente to victory was absolutely magic! Full marks to HRSA for their initiative. I haven't seen so many people enjoying themselves like that at the trots for a long time. It really seemed to put the fun back into our sport. I hope it is done again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LsMDXXaSLI
a video summary
They should incorporate a short season into the summer. They just need 6 meetings.
It would be worth a try Katie but I would be more confident of it being a success if they had got 10k+ last Friday
The best meeting I have attended in years, crowd was around 8,000 and if they don't make money out of it then they never will. Everyone had a smile on their face. Proved a few things, it's not about times, it's about competitive racing and the intimacy between the crowd and the racing was the entertainment. Bookies were flat out all night. Spoke to Kate Gath straight after the presentation of the Trotters Cup, she said it was a bigger event than winning the Hunter Cup - just process that! A massive success on all fronts, Congrats to HRSA, I'll definitely be going again. Had the feel of a NZ ID GF night.
I hope you don't think I was putting it down Stu - I do think small/intimate tracks are our best chance. It is just that the idea of multiple meets may struggle there at first (while establishing themselves again) for I do not think 8,000 was exceptional considering the guests, interstaters, promotion and novelty factor this meet had.
Great points Stu, the same stuff I have been saying for decades, mobile starts and big tracks are for breeders to put false values on their yearlings, they have done nothing for the popularity of our game except make the racing boring and predictable, the punters in the USA have been betting on barrier draws for eons...why? because all mobile racing means the barrier draw is an essential ingredient to success. We have been making the same mistake when the evidence was there to support NOT making the mistake, why? because for too long the commercial breeders in this nation had a disproportional influence on administrators who had insufficient intimate knowledge of what they were administrating and were relying on "expert" knowledge that was being provided by these "lobbyists"
I'm sure there are some longer term contributors to this forum saying. "here he goes again" but sorry I can't help myself it annoys me no end that very simple things get lost in all the bulldust.
Post #1001, and I promised myself I would stop at 1000!
cheers,
Danno
You always know how to cut to the chase Dan. Love it. If you stop posting I am out of here