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Thread: Breeders Challenge day and thoughts on Menangle

  1. #1
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    Breeders Challenge day and thoughts on Menangle

    Lennytheshark $1.35 for the Len Smith - any takers?

    http://www.harness.org.au/fields.cfm?mc=PC260616#10
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  2. #2
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Amlin will become famous soon enough Amlin's Avatar
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    Are you heading over from Mittagong Kev?

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    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    I had not planned it Kyle but about a week ago I realized the big day fitted my itinerary perfectly.

    My first look at Menangle
    I was surprised we were in the middle of nowhere, it makes Melton seem suburban (It's got me beat how both states can expect our code to be mainstream when we have gone backwoods)
    As for the facility, I was impressed with what I saw (although large sections were closed to the general public today)
    As much as I like the promenade at Melton, Menangle's grandstand is much more practical in providing plenty of seating.
    I like the museum displays and the stables with their high pitch and viewing platforms make Melton's now look worse than ordinary
    As much as I appreciate the racing benefits of the long straight (which includes no need for a cheat's lane) it does make it hard to see what is happening at the bottom of the str

    As a spectator, mile racing is not my cup of tea on such a big track - I miss the bell
    The long str helped Hector knock off stablemate Lenny despite Gavin wearing a Menangle spray jacket that billowed like a windsock

    It was great to see 2011 2yo Challenge winner, Theartofdelusion, one of the 2 ex-pacers under saddle, leading out the fields
    They were lucky with the weather today and they really did cater for their 'family' day and were well rewarded with plenty of families there
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  4. #4
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    Where was the Allstars stable?
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  5. #5
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Amlin will become famous soon enough Amlin's Avatar
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    We no doubt passed by Kev as I was there with a group from Vic.

    What a great facility and a good day of racing all round.

    The All Stars only qualified one...not sure if they ran as many in the series this year.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Colt Mark Croatto will become famous soon enough
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    [QUOTE=Messenger;46964]I had not planned it Kyle but about a week ago I realized the big day fitted my itinerary perfectly.

    "My first look at Menangle
    I was surprised we were in the middle of nowhere, it makes Melton seem suburban (It's got me beat how both states can expect our code to be mainstream when we have gone backwoods)"

    Hi Kevin

    I can't speak for Victoria, but as far as NSW goes, most of the criticism surrounding the move to Menangle from Harold Park is delusional. I've been in the sport for near on 40 years; used to go to Fairfield, Bankstown, Penrith and Harold Park virtually every week and when the decision to sell Harold Park was made the crowds at that venue were non existent. We went from having thousands of people on a Friday night to the point where you could fire a shotgun in the public seating along the home straight and hit nobody! Getting to Harold Park on a Friday night was a living nightmare and the facilities, in particular for the horsemen were woeful. Before the move Harold Park was in a third rate hospital, being cared for with antiquated equipment and on life support; thank goodness they chose to move the patient to best equipped and staffed hospital in Australia.

    Whilst many of us bemoan the lack of on course patronage, in NSW we at least have a facility that allows our sport to be conducted on, and presented to its fans and the public, in the very best way possible. Growing up in the western suburbs of Sydney, I spent many a night in the Campbelltown area and know full well how it has exploded as a residential zone. The challenge now is to turn some of those living there into fans of the sport, that however is a different topic. I loved Harold Park, but Menangle has the location and infrastructure to grow the sport. I'm absolutely certain the move to Menangle, at the very least, stalled the imminent death of the patient!

    Cheers

  7. #7
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    Mark, you certainly know far far more about NSW than I.
    I am somewhat embarassed to say that I have never explored your state before - always leapfrogging it in a plane to QLD (apart from my honeymoon up the coast 36yrs ago). I never even made it to Harold Park! I always thought of it as being like our Showgrounds and cannot imagine how it would not pull a crowd if facilities were kept up to date.

    On Sunday, I have followed Google maps from Mittagong and subsequently not passed a suburb - we actually missed the turn in road as I thought the sign board was just a promo, consequently we parked on the other side of the railway line (not a bad spot actually). Imagine viewing the entrance for the first time from that side, with the railway platform in the foreground - I call it a platform not a station as the platforms are the only structure. To me it was movie-like, if I had caught a train there I reckon the monument in front of me would have almost seemed imaginary

    I gather that Campbelltown would be like Melton, but not simply across the road

    My concerns about these locations is that they are a long way from their metropolis
    My concern is based upon the need for attendance
    I see attendance as the precursor to ownership and as we both know - without horses all we would have would be the TAB's simulated video racing

    I am not saying it cannot work - it just seems to me that we are making it harder for ourselves

    I thought the train may have had potential but I see it is nearly 2hrs by train and well over an hour by bus but 50 min by car so it is very comparable to Melton in that respect. Melton is always going to get a fair crowd as the location was already where half the converted lived and there is probably less entertainment competition out there
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  8. #8
    Senior Member Colt Mark Croatto will become famous soon enough
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    Hi Kevin

    Menangle is on the south western edge of the Sydney metropolitan area, and whilst it certainly has a rural appearance around its immediate perimeter, within only 5 to 30 minutes travelling time to the north, north east, north west, and west of it, there would be conservatively one million or more people living. New housing developments have sprung up constantly in these areas, and even in the immediate locality, owned by the NSW Harness Racing Club there are tracts of land to be developed for housing. Campbelltown itself, a city of more than 500,000 people, is but 7 minutes away and as I said earlier provides unlimited opportunities to grow a local following, all it takes is resolve to do so.

    Regards

  9. #9
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia...FOR-THE-FUTURE

    They are certainly trying and are talking about development to the South - the direction I drove in from.
    I was stunned at how rural Menangle was but I will not say anymore until I one day see the populated areas to the North that Mark refers to
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  10. #10
    Senior Member 4YO p plater will become famous soon enough
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    Quote Originally Posted by Messenger View Post
    http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia...FOR-THE-FUTURE

    They are certainly trying and are talking about development to the South - the direction I drove in from.
    I was stunned at how rural Menangle was but I will not say anymore until I one day see the populated areas to the North that Mark refers to
    Kev, this link will give you an idea of what's planned http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Plans...n-New-Town/Map

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