NSW "Prizemoney!"

[trish]

Honestly how is this any good for harness racing in NSW , really IMO its wrong. I think more & more people will walk away thinking their horse are not good enough for
Menangle as that's where the better money will always be.
Penrith's meeting a fortnight ago 9 races racing for $47,000.00.
Penrith meeting this Thursday 7 races racing for $33,500.00.
Bloody backward step by far.
Why should anyone HAVE to race for $4000 again? Because they are forced too. In this day and age I think it is pathetic. Trainers work their arse off & for what???
Whoever brought this crap in, have you worked 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year training horses in the mud, rain, hail or sunshine . Sand in your eyes, ears and every other part of your body.....doubt it!!!!!
Are you trying to KILL Penrith or trying to force numbers up at Menangle? I think this is forcing more horses just to be cannon fodder.

[Messenger]

Trish I totally agree that Prizemoney has to be 'worth the effort'. On a somewhat related point, I do however think that even at out of town meetings, the better horse should race for a few more $
Seeing a C0 winner collect the same purse as a C5-7 does not seem right to me. Generally I will not go that extra yard to attend a meeting for C0 race but I might for better class races/horses.
In terms of your workplace analogy, I see the better class horses as the leaders/bosses and you of course know that everyone at HRNSW does not get paid the same.
Once again I want to emphasize that I do agree that all races have to be worth winning

ps TeeCee you might have to create a thread for this page

[Race For Fun]

There is no doubt races with $1500 are disgusting. They do nothing for the person with the horse. It costs exactly the same amount to feed a horse if it starts in a race worth $1500 or $5000 on the same program. The punter just wants to have a bet and he doesn't care what the prizemoney level of a race is, and that's not the punters problem either. But the fact that these so called "penalty free " races ever got approved doesn't say much for the powers that be. Clubs get to run a meeting at a fraction of normal costs. The powers that be then tell us how good TAB turn over is.

Trish have a look at the mile rate of the $1500 race at Newcastle you refered to, almost the fastest run of the night.

Maybe country prizemoney needs to be higher while the industry tries to rebuild and metropolitan racing might have to race for a bit less for a while. Don't get me wrong metropolitan racing should have good prizemoney but metropolitan racing gets it's strength from country horses.

[trish]

There is no doubt races with $1500 are disgusting. They do nothing for the person with the horse. It costs exactly the same amount to feed a horse if it starts in a race worth $1500 or $5000 on the same program. The punter just wants to have a bet and he doesn't care what the prizemoney level of a race is, and that's not the punters problem either. But the fact that these so called "penalty free " races ever got approved doesn't say much for the powers that be. Clubs get to run a meeting at a fraction of normal costs. The powers that be then tell us how good TAB turn over is.

Trish have a look at the mile rate of the $1500 race at Newcastle you refered to, almost the fastest run of the night.

Maybe country prizemoney needs to be higher while the industry tries to rebuild and metropolitan racing might have to race for a bit less for a while. Don't get me wrong metropolitan racing should have good prizemoney but metropolitan racing gets it's strength from country horses.

Hi Toni.
I agree with everything you say. When is someone going to realise that higher prizemoney doesn't mean full fields. Menangle has had higher prizemoney in its mid week meetings for years but they have struggled to get field numbers up. The $30,000.00 FFAs they brought in on the 12th July haven't had a full field yet.
I believe that if participants believed that they were racing on a level playing field, then none of these problems would exist. This is the root of the problem IMO.

[Mitch]

Give it time people, it's only week one.

[trish]

G'day Kev . I just think that most horses don't race on to the faster classes . If a horse makes C7 then he's probably won 9 or 10 races , maybe more . His prize money would be quite good already . Any owner that keeps a low class horse going deserve a break if they win and, anyway , I don't think anyone should be racing for that when they don't have to . It just makes the sport even more unbalanced and the reason for it is questionable . They want to extend a horses racing life . Well if a horse is going to race for less once he's hit his mark then bye bye Socks . See you at Wentworth Park .

[jackthepunter]

Imo having any races worth less money for their class is a big step backwards, that will likely increase the chances of people being prepare to take more risks and send the sport back to where it has just been.

[Wilso]

So rather then 3k restricted front races, they are now 4k country penalty races.
Meaning that in the past battlers could spend a small amount as a hobby interest and buy a horse that potentially could win a R0 worth 2k to the winner, then the next start win a C0 worth $3500 to the winner and actually earn money and encourage them to buy another horse.
Now they just lose a country penalty for less money?
HRNSW are simply trying to eradicate the battlers or hobbyists out of the sport.
Word it which ever way you like this is what they are doing.
IMO the new race programming is a joke aswell! How long before Menangle races 3/4 times a week????
Rant over

[mango]

So rather then 3k restricted front races, they are now 4k country penalty races.
Meaning that in the past battlers could spend a small amount as a hobby interest and buy a horse that potentially could win a R0 worth 2k to the winner, then the next start win a C0 worth $3500 to the winner and actually earn money and encourage them to buy another horse.
Now they just lose a country penalty for less money?
HRNSW are simply trying to eradicate the battlers or hobbyists out of the sport.
Word it which ever way you like this is what they are doing.
IMO the new race programming is a joke aswell! How long before Menangle races 3/4 times a week????
Rant over

Steve I think you have said what a lot of people have been thinking and I for one agree totally. Restricted race's served a purpose and allowed trainers to place there horses to maximise a return for the owner's. The new programming is a joke and the owner/trainer should be able to pick which race his/hers horse race's in. With the way Qld are programming and prize money on the rise it give's you options as to where to place and race your horse.

[Wilso]

I personally think NSW harness racing is going downhill at a dramatic rate.
You only have too look at the way the country graded tracks have had the meetings moved around and re programmed, its not good.
Mr Fairly can get on here and try and justify it all until the cows come home but he isn't fooling anyone.
Why they are building a new track at Bathurst I dont know? They race once a week and the new track at Tamworth? There lucky to race once a fortnight! Should of used the money to improve there facilities and pump it into prize money for the country racing!
Its ok to continue to boost Menangle prizemoney, but not everyone has metro horses, why not give the battlers a crack at some good money?
Newcastle 8k friday nights? And maybe make it you can lose 2x C0 fronts if you win a 4k C0 first?
I dunno something....