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Thread: What's wrong with MELTON

  1. #11
    Senior Member 4YO Smoken will become famous soon enough Smoken's Avatar
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    It would have been great if somehow it could have been closer to the CBD. 48km is just to far for most in today's people, even though there's better transport & facilities etc.. I don't know if Melton can ever compete with MV for different reasons, one of them being that I just don't think the trots is nowhere near as popular as it once was. I can tell you guys that Trigger got me interested big time back in harness, that's why Champions like him are so very important for the industry.

  2. #12
    Senior Member 4YO p plater will become famous soon enough
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    Bums on seats......Take a look at Randwick, they have just spent mega millions to create a world class facility but except for major carnivals the crowds are down. Reality is that with Sky Channel and Commercial stations broadcasting live and every betting agency having Apps etc, you no longer need to go to the track. In fact the TV coverage zooms in and gives you a closer look at the action, even leading TB trainers say they watch the race from a TV screen at the races.
    We have lost the challenge of "Beating the bookies" with a plunge because they are gone or almost gone to on line betting.
    As Smoken said lets get our Superstar pacers and Trotters more publicity in an effort to create more interest. I suspect Triggers last start on the 6th September at Melton will get some promotion and draw a bigger crowd than usual...but that's also a one off.

  3. #13
    Senior Member 2YO jackthepunter will become famous soon enough
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    Quote Originally Posted by Toohard View Post
    No problem here Jack. Sorry I should have worded it differently maybe. You say above. I say they had all that at Moonee Valley. And it was bang slap in the middle of Melbourne. Public transport too and what happened? No one turned up.

    You compared Melton to Menangle. NSW had the money from the Harold Park sale. Vic had nothing. So who pays for what you want built at Melton? Where does the money come from? And whats the point of building something like that if no one turns up? They didn't turn up at Moonee Valley so why build something like that at Melton?

    My other questions we just to see if you were one of the people that did turn up at Moonee Valley and one of the people who still does.
    Their no dramas here Paul, yes I did go to the valley regularly because its close to where I live and been on a saturday night I could go their first, then go out in the city.
    With Melton on a friday night, its not worth going for me with by the time I finsh work and tracffic it would be all but over by the time I got their. Obviously for the industry the biggest problem with the valley was the rent and the main one in my opinion that with the track inside the galloping track you couldn't get up close. But with the valley you did get some big crowds their by harness racing standards when they had the summer carnival, I sure at times even it was only for 2-3 weeks of the year. They did get 10,000 plus a few times, I don't think melton can even handel that.
    By thats not my point, If your going to build a brand new facility do it right and do it well. The ceo and board have to be postive that they can get new people/owners involved. And I just don't think that the way Melton been designed and built that will ever happen. Will makes me angry because I love the sport and I think everone deserves alot better. You have to try at all costs to grow the industry and I don't think the current ceo or board have really done anything to grow it. The Breeders Crown just past the only advertising I heard about it was mainly on rsn and the odd bit on sen.
    Rsn being all racing and some sport, sen being mainly afl and some sport. So all your doing is peaching to the people who already love the sport, its not going to get outside interest when most people don't listen to those stations. So whey wouldn't you put it on Triple M for an example, get Billy Brownless or someone with a big media profile to promoteit . Its what every other sport does bar harness racing. Im pretty sure it was some goverment money and a loan that build melton, either way imo the sport deserves alot better. I don't want to sit here and watch the sport die.

    A few years ago I had a hoilday in New Zealand and when along to Alexandra Park( Auckland) WOW what a facility by far the best for harness racing in this part of the world. The barn for the horses are massive their so much room for the horses to walk around before and after races and get geared up. Their not jammed in like cattle on a truck, the food and restaurants are first class. Hrv could have easily got the blueprints and done something similar and then they would have had a first class facility. Any one who gets the chance should go over for a look you will really notice the differnt compared to melton.

    http://www.alexandrapark.co.nz/racing/

  4. #14
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Amlin will become famous soon enough Amlin's Avatar
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    Do they have a roof on the grandstand at Alexandra Park Jack?


    The two most recent metro tracks built in Melbourne, The Meadows and Melton, have very limited grandstand style seating for the public. Even on the big nights at Moonee Valley, you could still get a seat up the top in the Burston Stand, rathen than having to stand on the grass.


    The Sandown greyhounds stand is a good example (all seating fully indoors with the restaurant tiered style opposite the winning post). This idea was even copied by Caulfield when they did their rebuild. A facility such as Sandown caters for crowds of up to 3000-4000 on their busiest night, so it could have easily been replicated at Melton. The bar/food/tote etc is on a flat level at the top, behind the seating.


    On a slightly related matter - they were getting 20,000 to the Hunter Cup around 10-15 years ago, admittedly the course is on the other side of town now but where have all these people gone?
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  5. #15
    Member Yearling Plunge Punter will become famous soon enough
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    The silly part is when designing Melton the only thing HRV had to do pretty much copy the design of Ballarat's facilities! The most patron friendly venue in Victoria.

  6. #16
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    Small confession time for Kev:
    Although it is a long way from the Eastern suburbs, staying in Port Melbourne last weekend I have come home from the city today and decided to time it
    Surprise surprise Melton would only be 35mins tops by car from Southern Cross railway station in Melbourne's city centre

    I am now interested in knowing where the Melton attendees are coming from
    I wonder whether HRV have done any on track postcode surveys to find out if they are attracting anybody other than Meltonites

    Big suburbs like Altona, Williamstown, Footscray, Essendon, Werribee, Sunshine, Tullamarine plus all those to the west of these are much closer than I realized

    Do we put on any city buses? I remember in the old days catching buses from the city to the trots - I think it must have been to Kilmore

    Hopefully we might hear from Cody or else I will send this off to HRV
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  7. #17
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year arlington will become famous soon enough
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    Quote Originally Posted by Messenger View Post
    Small confession time for Kev:
    Although it is a long way from the Eastern suburbs, staying in Port Melbourne last weekend I have come home from the city today and decided to time it
    Surprise surprise Melton would only be 35mins tops by car from Southern Cross railway station in Melbourne's city centre...

    What time of day was it Kev?
    I've only headed out, part, that way once. Leaving Melbourne 5 pm Friday. Doubt I'd have got to Melton in 35 mins.

  8. #18
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    It was midday and I did it in about 32 I think but 5 pm Friday would be different - I will try to remember this Friday to ask the missus to check on her ph app to see how long it will take at 5pm and 6pm.
    All the suburbs I listed should still be quicker, doable in 35, I would think
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  9. #19
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    I just checked it on Google maps now and I have to amend my numbers in that I thought Bay St Pt Melbourne would be the same as Southern Cross station but it is not. Right now Southern Cross would take 37min compared to 31min Southern Cross. Will check again on Friday 5pm
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  10. #20
    Senior Member Colt Yabbie will become famous soon enough
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    Quote Originally Posted by Messenger View Post
    I just checked it on Google maps now and I have to amend my numbers in that I thought Bay St Pt Melbourne would be the same as Southern Cross station but it is not. Right now
    Southern Cross would take 37min compared to 31min Southern Cross. Will check again on Friday 5pm
    I work in Rialto (corner of King and Collins St) and finish work at 6pm.



    Depending on the traffic, leaving from 522 Flinders Lane (just near Southern X Station) heading over the Westgate, it can take between 35-45 minutes on average. On a good day closer to 30 minutes. On a long weekend easily an hour! There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the delays.


    Over the Westgate heading to Geelong can be reasonably slow then the run improves when you bear left to the Ring Road. However, recently there have been delays at turnoffs to Caroline Springs and/or Werribee for what appears to be no reason.


    Its a real headache for all and a real pain in the a.... when meetings start around 5pm during winter.


    I find I regularly miss at least the first four races on a Friday

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