NSW Breeders Challenge Day = zzzzzz !!

Wow what a terrible day of racing. I'll drive 2.5 hours round trip from Glebe for that garbage.

Good day on the punt Shannons, Moni and Rock all won, Alta J hit the board at a nice price but the racing was woeful.

The 2300 and 2400m races at Menangle besides the Derby and Oaks should have a fork stuck in them.

The racing isn't competitive and to be honest, if you were out there today like I, you were bored stiff watching them. There was ZERO atmosphere, no buzz whatsoever.

On a day when nearly all drivers were doing their best statue impersonations, the drive by D Morris on the Fav in the 4yo deserved time. I was on the winner and it looked like he was too.

Could you imagine a jockey at the T'Breds riding one like that and not getting a please explain ? Bush league !

They've got their head in the sand at HRNSW if they don't have all the BC races next year over a Mile. Now that they've lost the ID, if this is their second best days racing of the year, they've got big problems.

Rant over ... after a great meal at the Horse and Jockey, always the highlight of a trip to Menangle, it's time for long drive home and a warm shower to defrost : )

Sorry one last thing. Twitter was mute and nothing here. It needs addressing. They'll paint it as a success because they sucked a few hundred peeps in for free and gave their kids a couple of free rides but the racing was DOA.

Yes he didn't give him any chance.
On a brighter note a big congratulations to Kerry-Ann Turner on training her 1st Group One a job well done

It was pretty boring at home too Bob. I totally agree regarding David Morris's drive on My General Lee. I do not see the point of these big tracks that lack the excitement of little showgrounds tracks where you could feel the slipstream of the action (and where you had to make a move). Are the drivers really stupid enough to think they can leave it all to the long, wide home straight or are they only racing for place money as they do not give themselves a realistic chance of beating the favs?

H/P

I did reply to your views earlier today but it has gone someplace without turning up as in tendered? I am telling you this just in case it turns up.
Look I could not disagree more with what you are trying to portray.
The day was a great success all round. It got my tick of approval from every angle you could possibly look at it from.
Let me just point out some of the positives for others.
We had 6 group ones plus a couple of BC trotting races to kick the action off.
The day highlighted and excelled in delivering the following.
We had a 2 year old filly running a 1.52.9 Mile. For the second time in two weeks she ran a 1.52 Mile.
We then had a 2 year old colt run a 1.53 Mile sitting in the death. This continued his winning sequence of 9 from 9. This Boy could be the best of all time and we had the opertunity of witnessing same.
We also had a Filly Supersonic Miss continue on her winning way.
Next up we witnessed the cream of young drivers being developed and placed on display for the industry to view the best of our youth.
Now we roll onto a 4 year old that has done what I only dream about doing, as an owner. winning his 2 year old, 3 year old and now nailing his 4 year old Breeders Challenge age group.
All of these great young horses being NSW Breed, that dominate both sides of the ditch.
I honestly never ever thought growing up with our sport that I could witness such racing and times. To think only 1.5 hours from Sydney Town Hall I could turn up and see what Sokyola,Trigger,Blacky,Beuatide,Christen Me, IMQ have achieved before my eyes. I only ever envisaged having to jump on a plane and head to US or Canada to see such highlights. All this in our back yard.
How great is this, not so long ago the NZers would hold us all in ore, now NSW holds the cards and looks to dominate with the Quality of Stallions and Mares we have been able to hold and attract.
To see the Owners / Breeders / Studs / Administrators - Boards / Frends and Participants / Breeders Ass / Owners Ass, all mixing and networking totally enjoying what we had on display was probably just another endorsement of how we are getting through it all and turning around the things that need to be turned around. To be on hand and witness a day that Highlighted our Industry and Breeding in NSW was further acknowledged by taking in another fact that we have Peppertree Stud not only supporting our great day by Sponsoring the series but seeing Rob and Julie just enjoying everything as it unfolded on the day.
As for the crowd, I have attended every major race day we have had at Menangle since we moved back and I would rate it 3 rd only behind the opening day and an Interdom a couple of years ago, so please don't try and say in was anything other than great. Menangle facilities just like the track are massive to say the leased. We have so many areas for people to utilise and enjoy.
I do acknowledge and agree that what the Breeders Challenge is all about is highlighting our Breed and running times over the greatest mile track. Anything other than mile racing just puts it on hold. The start and finish are the most exciting part of our sport and when you have 2300 races the metres in between just get to be a filler. Mile racing has everyone knowing it is on from the get go. So I hope that one day our Administrators get to acknowledge this fact and run all our BC Finals over the Mile distance.

Look from my view, if you can't come up with something better, then don't knock what others have done and worked at achieving.

It was just a massive plus for all our industry and needs to be put down as a must attend day.

That's my bit,

All the best,

Rob Nalder

I was there too Rob and agree wholeheartedly. Well said.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eliteblood

I was there too Rob and agree wholeheartedly. Well said.

+1
good work Rob

I did only watch the 6 Gp 1's and I am no doubt being harsh but as impressive as most of these winners were, once the fields settled we knew who was going to win at least 5 of these races. I guess the greedy ones like me love to see the champs challenged. It would be a dream to see Heavens v Waikikl

Messenger,

The two babies, Heavens & Waikiki both did things we all thought was just incredible to witness. Having said that some of the runs put in by some of the beaten brigade, finishing off both of the Races all looks super for them moving on in there carriers.

As for your views on, once the Field sorts out & settled down, I agree in longer races it does tend to become somewhat less of an event to watch. Generally in most cases I find Mile Racing is on from the Get Go and you have several moves within a race. But that is how I view our Sport others may hold a somewhat different view. But for this Breeders Challenge day to me it is a no brainer! It must / should be all over a Mile. You know in NSW / Aussie, we do not have a single Group 1 Race for 3 year olds over the true Mile distance, yet we all breed to the best sires on what they did over a Mile! Just not right, in my opinion.

Our future within NSW is going in the right direction, for this to continue we all need to understand what we are all trying to get out of it. I know we all have somewhat different opinions / levels of what we expect out of our sport. One of the major KPI's I recognise is just how far we have come in Breeding. Just look at what we have Breed in NSW over the past few years. It just didn't happen. It has been due to a massive input from our Studs & Administrators in NSW working together, so as to bring this out. If you go back 6 - 8 years ago NZ & Vic in my opinion lapped us with Breeding. I give Rob & Julie from Peppertree Stud a huge thank you in leading the way in our State in particular. Jumping onto there coat tails was Yirribee Stud also with lifting the Bar on quality Stallions & Mares within our state. Then to assist in laying a platform we have had the last 2 / 3 Boards of HRNSW all doing what they can to drive us to the forefront of what we have today.
We needed the vision & support from our administrators such as our Board of HRNSW. I know we can all have a go at them from time to time, that goes with the territory, but what has taken place in this State could never have been done without great people leading & supporting the Industry overall. Today we are the ones - State increasing all areas and levels.
That is why Sunday was just so good on all fronts, it just highlighted our whole industry as one.

Just remember if you have a Mare, you need to give her the chance to Breed the next of our Foals through to Race Horse by sending her to a NSW Based Sire.

All the best,

Rob Nalder