Standing starts must go: big sponsor gone

[Harnesslink News Bot]

If standing starts aren't banned in New Zealand harness racing in this country will continue to operate in the dark ages and as a result the sport will continue to lose its valued and much needed owners and big-time gamblers.

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[Don Corleone]

I am afraid that Mr Street seems to be playing the spoilt child card. He has every right to pull his sponsorship and that is a real shame however his speil that everyone will leave the harness game if we persist with standing starts is bullocks. Sir Lincoln has started 6 times from the stand and while not the flashest or fastest away each time he has managed to go away. Yet as far as I am aware we have heard nothing from Mr Street re: standing starts. Then along come the race last week where the disqualifcation arises and all of a sudden the game has gone to the pack and he's heading to Oz, pulled his horse out of the Cup, ceased his sponsorship. As far as him saying he wants the trainers to take their horses to the track and then refuse to start half an hour before the race, well they didn't have to nominate for that race!
I have no worries about the NZ Cup or whatever going to a mobile but the race is supposed to be a handicap. It's a standing start end of story.
John Curtain stated that they didn't put Auckland Reactor into the cup a couple of years ago because he couldn't step, good decision. I myself didn't put my horse into the cup because it wasn't fast enough! (It's a maiden)
Also, turnovers on mobiles verses standing starts are almost the same with no real disparities between the two. I know there is a debate on mobile verses stands. I myself think that half the drivers, certainly in my area, are not that skilled at getting a difficult horse away.
Let the debate continue........

[Flashing Red]

Sounds like Mr Street is throwing the toys from his cot due to Sir Lincoln's relegation. I wonder if he would have withdrawn his sponsorships if the horse had won the race in question, or went onto win a NZ Cup. While I agree that standing starts should not form a large part of races run, I disagree with banning them entirely. if you don't like them, don't nominate your horse for them. If you don't like punting on standing start races, then put it on the next mobile event. It isn't rocket science.