http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=16787
I've seen something similar to this done in Canada with an 'Ontario breds preferred' condition to a series of races.
Here's hoping the NSW Trainers get behind this initiative.
http://www.harness.org.au/news-artic...?news_id=16787
I've seen something similar to this done in Canada with an 'Ontario breds preferred' condition to a series of races.
Here's hoping the NSW Trainers get behind this initiative.
interesting move by NSW. does this mean perhaps, we are sick of NZ imports taking our money?
About bloody time
Have whoever you want on but don't ever have yourself on
I know a lot of local NSW trainers have been complaining about the competition now provided by a number of interstate/NZ trainers and no doubt other high profile trainers that are making their way to NSW due to Menangle. I wonder if this is a response to that? I'm always for catering for the little guy as well as the little guy. I know Yonkers in NYC changed some of their conditions or added conditions to claimers to allow the little guy a bigger piece of the pie, too by excluding some of the bigger stables that dominate...
In saying that though, trainers in NSW have to realise is it going to get harder now. They have had it easy for so many years now, must be a bit of a shock to the system to have all these big guns move in....
It is hard to win a race anywhere, I feel NSW in recent years haven't had it as tough as Qld (competiting against the likes of huge super stables McCarthys and Dixons who will have 3 or more horses in each race) or Victoria (where the winning metropolitan trainer won't even tally 30 wins for the season); now it will be the toughest place to win in Australia... a pretty big turnaround for the locals to get use to. JMHO.
It's all got to do with encouraging nominations Flashing.
Saturday nights at Menangle have struggled in recent weeks but I don't know how much of it is due to any new aspects...though there's no denying that the well graded Kiwi ready mades would have some effect. This very same lack of noms thing has traditionally/historically happened around August-September here in NSW & particularly so here in Sydney every year since pretty much as far back as I can remember taking notice of it. There is ALWAYS a struggle to fill fields in certain grades between about the middle of August through to the first week of October.
It's also around this time every year that the 'put your shoes on the window ledge and jump out' crew here in NSW start to stir, pointing at the lack of noms as somehow evidencing a downturn, that drastic measures need to be taken etc etc. They should just fire down some Lithium and take a breath and shut the &%$# up IMO. Every year they will bemoan this traditional low point in the noms and shout out about the sky falling and every year it never does.
I don't know if others remember it , but when I was very young , in the late 60's and 70's I seem to remember that harness racing , at least at Harold Park , went into recess from July to September.
Amazing to think about that these days.
Christ, you must be as old as dirt.
Behold...Ozninja approacheth, armed with scythe & clock.
PS. Yes, I remember that. I was still in Primary School.
Last edited by triplev123; 09-15-2011 at 07:36 PM. Reason: forgot the PS.