Addington trots today - no TAB or Sky coverage ??

[David Summers]

Anyone got any idea why today's excellent race meeting at Addington is being ignored by the TAB?

Star horses like Stig and I Can Doosit clashing in a Group 1 $80,000 race , and other races with the likes of Gold Ace , Franco Emirate, Terror To Love and Hands Christian in a $100,000 Group1. An excellent support lineup in another ten races.

Surely this could have been covered by the TAB and broadcast on Sky 2 , at least , even in replay , like they sometimes do with Meadowlands if it can't be fit into the live schedule.

I see yet another totally obscure Z Grade trot meeting from France will be covered by TAB/Sky tonight. Has anyone ever heard of any of the runners , let alone want to invest?

What is wrong with our "near local" product from NZ ?

[aussiebreno]

Maybe there is more gallop meetings because of Easter. Not sure, either way this meeting or at least the main races should be on Sky.

[Triple V]

Typical TB bootlick routine from the NSW TAB/Sky Channel. For crying out loud...the TB's have Sky 1, Sky 2 and that other bollocks channel that runs wall to wall TB's...all of which I PAY FOR whether I like it or not & solidly too might I add...yet Sky apparently still can't find a slot for a very good Harness meeting?
Be it in AUS or NZ, racing of that calibre should be shown live on Sky 2 at an absolute bare minimum.
Incidentally, I note that today/tonight the NSWTAB are betting on/televising no fewer than 20 TB meetings that are being spread across no fewer than 3 cable channels. That's just taking the piss.

[David Summers]

If you have a look at Sky's annoying unrelenting self promoting advertising , while you are actually trying to watch races or Race Replays highlights , they say they broadcast ALL NZ racing meetings (all codes) seven days a week. FALSE!!

If I can't watch important NZ Group 1 races live on Sky , then a replay will do, but at least have the decency of being able to have a bet on the TAB if you want. Anyone wanting to hear the clash of Stig and I Can Doosit at 6-15PM Sydney time tonight or Gold Ace , Franco Emirate and Terror To Love at 7-35PM, listen to the audio here https://www.tab.co.nz

It will never happen (probably in my lifetime) , but a Harness/Greyhound dedicated Sky channel is the answer , however I'm not holding my breath :-(

BTW, who gives a stuff about betting on or looking at French trot meetings?

[Lenem]

Agree with nearly all of the above.
I for one find watching from a different hemisphere fascinating.Not to mention the need to promote their racing here if we ever want or hope for them to be interested in ours !

[David Summers]

Have you watched the French trots? Two breaks and you are disqualified. What's that all about? Break as many times as you want , but disqualification? Breaking twice is already enough to put you out of the race.

Looking at some of the races I think that many of the winners would be lucky to be break 2.02 for a mile rate. I doubt if most harness racing people in France even know that we have harness racing in Australia so I would not rely on their interest to take harness racing in Australia to the world , even if they know we are broadcasting their racing.

I doubt if many in Australia have even the slightest interest in totally irrelevant French "Z Grade" harness racing , and if in return they could not care about us here , I can certainly live with that.

[Lenem]

We all saw how Sundon's Gift was made to look...(what's after Z grade ? ) by the Europeans.By the way does your timing device also have a cuckoo that pops out on the hour?

[David Summers]

Sundon's Gift was not racing against the rubbish Z-minus fields that we see on Sky's French Trot broadcasts. In case you missed it , the Elitlopp in Sweden is an international event , entries from all over the world.

What has any of this to do with the premise of why I started this thread about Sky and the TAB ignoring Addington Group 1 races today? Any constructive comments about that ?

If you feel the need to take this thread in a different direction , seeming to bag Sundon's Gift , then start a new one.

[teecee]

Saturday Night Harness Racing in New Zealand was canned a few months back. The reason given was that Australian TAB's were no longer interested in providing betting or TV cover. This meeting goes ahead as it always has on Easter Saturday evening because it is such an important meeting on our calendar. Sorry Guys.
We have the same problem...almost.... as featured Australian meets like today's Rosehill meet pushes our day harness meeting onto our second channel.
It doesn't work the other way of course. NZ Trotting Cup day coverage is mutilated by TB meets on supposedly to complement it!!!!.Go Figgure..
Also.. Our main channel shows Singapore and Hong Kong gallops rather than Oz Harness racing when the local meets finish Fri and Sat nights.
Perhaps we could all jump up and down to In The Gig..????

[David Summers]

Thanks Tony. I was not aware of that. Guess us harness fans will just have to continue to be racing's "second class citizens" as far as Sky and the TAB are concerned :-(

As for In The Gig , you would have thought they would have made some passing reference to these two Group 1 events on their "This coming week in harness racing" , but alas , not a word :-((

I only knew that this meeting was even happening by previously subscribing to the Harnesslink NZ website http://www.harnesslink.com/www/News....Harness-Racing