Reply With QuoteA little more history at Warragul today with the first "flag start" from the stand in the Trotters Handicap.
I felt they could have had Murray Walker there saying "and its go! go! go!" when they waved the flag - but never mind.
Going the way of the drop kick, the centre bounce and booing opposition players- once you take it away, it never comes back. I guess I am not just a "new age punter" or "evolving" type of guy
A little more history at Warragul today with the first "flag start" from the stand in the Trotters Handicap.
I felt they could have had Murray Walker there saying "and its go! go! go!" when they waved the flag - but never mind.
Based on turnover, I am guessing that the Monte race at Melton on Friday will have to be the last we ever see
per un PUGNO di DOLLARI
They are claiming that the Monte races are additional races and they don't care about turnover on them ! So they will continue. ??
I find SS trotting races to be the most frustrating, they have many more gallopers than pacing races but they will continue.??
Last years poll found that over 70% of people wanted stand starts to continue. So much for the new look board that was going to consult the industry before making major changes. This change is due (imo) to pressure from the TAB , just like closing the tote windows at Melton and racing on Friday night instead of Saturday night. All bad decisions for the future of our industry.
Don't die wondering !
Originally Posted by gutwagon
From the CEO's Desk January 18 2016
In the same breath as announcing the demise of SS races the CEO announces the first meeting of the new Harness Racing Advisory Council (HRAC) is to be held in February.
The legislative functions of the HRAC are to:
That's a lovely welcome for the HRAC members....
- Advise the HRV Board on matters concerning harness racing, and
- Facilitate consultation between the Board and harness racing industry participants.
S&$/ Wayne, I thought you were going to say that Anderson resigned.
Was nice of HRV to rush through the SS decision before the HRAC even meets ! If they are so confident that it's the right move they should have waited for the HRAC to approve it !
Small fields are the biggest threat to turnover. What are they doing to get new owners and breeders ? What are they doing to keep the current owners and breeders ?
The fish rots from the head down !
Don't die wondering !
well said, i became a fan of the trots nearly 50 yrs ago watching a horse like Halwes come off 36 yards etc and win fast class cup races at Harold Park,such expectation and excitement!!The powers to be will have the sport here reduced to endless boring mobile miles of Yonkers, meadowlands etc.thank you Victoria for sending us down this road of ruin,just like you have done in the thoroughbred sphere where prepared track conditions dictate who comes out on top,this generation has much to answer for where everything is down to the almighty dollar.what a disgrace!!
I have been blown away by this decision by HRV to do away with the other form of our racing product. That of Standing starts. It just cuts off another form the point of an owners point of view to earn a return. Why every decision made today is that of our administrators that single out turnover as the number one key to our industry, and everything else can fall in behind this. In my understanding of our sport we have several critical points that are paramount to our sport going forward, Holding onto owners, developing and attracting new owners, increasing foal numbers that lead into Racing numbers that then provides the product for us to punt on are so,so important. This decision will lead to less owners maximising a return from their horse. I can honestly state that without Standing Start racing my involvement with the sport would not have been anyway as large as without a horse I owned and raced called "About To Rock" that was a real class act from the stand, With a trainer in Andy Gath and a young girl in Kate Thompson (now Kate Gath) that helped us achieve a level that I could only ever dream of, All from a horse that had a gift that enabled him to maximise my level of return and satisfaction along the way of setting up Andy and Kate to be recognised as being true professionals in our sport. Everything the "Rock" gave us we have all given back to our sport in spades, Now we lose another connection with our sport that takes away something without offering any reason other than turnover is not as good as it is from the mobile gate. I hate to say it, but I can only see less and less horses making up fields as a large number of SS horses are not as compeditive from the mobile. As I said to begin with, it just hurts to see one area of our sport controlling just about all other areas without understanding the consequences of the nett effect of what we are left to have to try and deal with.
Well that's my take on it all.
Last edited by Richard prior; 01-25-2016 at 06:37 AM.
Well said Rob
I think gutwagon nailed it when he said this smells like a decision made under pressure from the TAB, with a supportive quote from Adam Hamilton ready to go. The trouble is the TAB always makes the same mistake. They promote some change like this one, which may or may not give a bounce in tote betting for a few months, but is detrimental to the sport in the long run. Another is getting metro clubs like Menangle and Albion Park to run their first races at 5 PM or so, killing any chance of drawing a crowd in the process. The gain turns out to be either short term, or non-existent, but the damage to the sport lingers.
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