Lap It Up - Trots Country Championship Carnival from HRV

[Messenger]

https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/articles/country-cups-carnival-launched-at-the-valley/

The new Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) campaign is centred around the LAP IT UP message, with bold new creative artwork to feature on a range of advertising activations across digital, television, social media, print, radio, in-venue and outdoor.

An indication of the success of this campaign will be how often and where you see LAP IT UP

I hope posters will let us know when they do. At the very least you should see it everywhere in the lead up to your local country cup

Ambassador Josh Jenkins is a keen promoter of harness racing but as far as being a well known AFL star, he is not exactly up there. It would be good if he had a couple of high profile co-ambassadors.
Maybe a transfer to Victoria and some good form will make him a bargain

I hope the following poster is the one they go with as it actually provides better info
Edit: that is only the head of the poster that can be found at the following link

https://www.thetrots.com.au/racing/trots-country-cups/

[Messenger]

Of course the Country Cups are part of our Feature Races
I hope HRV are going to update the feature race info on their website soon
There have been 2 ways to access the list in the past both through the 'For Participants' tab (not sure why it isn't under the Racing tab)
If you then go through the Harness Directory you only get the 2017 list while clicking on Feature Race List still has 2018
(I emailed them last week but they have probably been busy with Lap It Up)

[gutwagon]

I heard the old country cup ad on 3aw that they were playing last year yesterday with lap it up tacked on the end. They really aren't trying very hard !
If they want to put life back into them they just have to bring back standing starts !

[Messenger]

HRV's own site is not advertising today's Maryborough Cup well enough

Not one of the main rotating pic stories is about the Maryborough Cup - Today they should all be

In the week leading up to today I saw only one story make the rotation but with a vague heading 'Sugars ready to crack the code' most would not know it was about the Maryborough Cup unless they opened it

Edit It is not front and centre on the HRA site either but I clicked on news and discovered that the 'Grand Circuit' podcast also contains some Maryborough content - on the HRV site you only get the heading Grand Circuit - get rid of the two stupid heads pic that we are sick of seeing and put some detail with a pic. Another big failure - think marketing department THINK

[Messenger]

5 only in the Swan Hill Cup tonight (only ever 6 before scratching)
It would be pathetic for a $35k cup if it wasn't for it attracting 3 super horses - maybe they scared the others off
Attracting 1 would have been terrible (a walkover) but 3 from the Vic Cup makes it very interesting

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=FD251019#FDC25101901

[Messenger]

San Carlo is the best horse in the country at the moment he just lacks tactical speed so I worry if he will just keep looking like the best horse in the race rather than winning. Huge run. Only horse in the running to finish within cooee.

It happened again tonight Brendan

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=FD251019#FDC25101901

[Messenger]

Owned and bred by industry stalwarts Kevin and Kay Seymour, of Solid Earth Pty Ltd, Colt Thirty One (Mach Three-Charm Personified (Perfect Art) was the toast in each of the three on-course bars.

The Seymours promised to shout the bar for an hour after the event if their sensational five-year-old took out the Cup. And more than 175 patrons took up the offer at the club bars!

http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia/Colt-Thirty-One-delivers-thirst-quenching-win-

Maybe this is how to get people back on course :eek:

[Mytwobobsworth]

Hope Swan Hill didn’t have the 10% Melton surcharge on their cup night.

Great work by the Seymours, always looking to give something back or improve the sport.
More of that needed in Victoria.

[Messenger]

Stawell Cup on Sunday (unfortunately I cannot make it)

The Stewart pacers off the second line should be too strong but you never know how much work they will have to do on a small track

The trotters reduced to 6 starters is disappointing but makes for a good even contest

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=SW011219

[Messenger]

Just as David Smith decimated the Stawell trotter's cup, David Aiken has done the same to the pacing cup with his 2 scratchings
Disappointing

[Messenger]

The $60k Cranbourne Cup is nice money for those who have stayed home

With the top 5 picks - half the field, the Stewart stable are very short odds to take home the winner's cheque (worth a couple of Inter heat wins)

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=CR071219#CRC07121901

[aussiebreno]

The $60k Cranbourne Cup is nice money for those who have stayed home

With the top 5 picks - half the field, the Stewart stable are very short odds to take home the winner's cheque (worth a couple of Inter heat wins)

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=CR071219#CRC07121901

So do we get to call the Country Cup final the Emma Stewart Gift yet?

[gutwagon]

What a poor card at Cranbourne tonight, 6 races with 7 horses or less. Waste of a prime time meeting.

[Messenger]

Not only did the Stewart stable fill 1st to 5th in the Cup, they also trifected the next race

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=CR071219#CRC07121901

[Mighty Atom]

The Stewart stable Australia's answer to the All-Stars. What is happening over there? Are their horses so dominant for one reason or another that they cannot be contained or has every other trainer given up?
It would be a joke if it wasn't so serious.

[Messenger]

The dominations are not too bad

NZ

All Stars 40
Robert Dunn 31
Barry Purdon 31

but in stakes won the All Stars are well clear of the other two combined

https://infohorse.hrnz.co.nz/datahrs/premierships/tpship.htm

Australia

Dixon 72
Cross 64
Stewart 58
Bond 55
Turner 50

On stakes Cross leads Dixon despite Dixon having had twice as many starters

http://www.harness.org.au/ausbreed/reports/top20/index.cfm/trainers/default/sort/wins?d=08122019

[Messenger]

Cobram Cup tomorrow

Dream draws for 2&3 is going to make it tough for others but maybe the cup can produce another emerging star like Bendigo did last night

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=CO050120#COC05012001

[Messenger]

Shepparton and Hamilton's Cups this weekend

I like the fact that Hamilton have decided to go different with their Cup over the sprint trip of 1660m
- they have been rewarded with a much stronger field than last year

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=HM120120#HMC12012001

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=SP110120#SPC11012001

[Messenger]

https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/articles/supersonic-field-for-sprint-hamilton-pacing-cup/

Hamilton is already the fastest track in Victoria - can this crack field go 1.49.?

[Messenger]

Unfortunately Lumineer and Keayang Shekitout scratched from Hamilton Cup
and probably the chance of a super quick time gone as I cannot see who is going to pressure Hurricane Harley and he would have to put in a poor one not to win
Duke Of Wellington is not going to want to be breaking Tk Records first up

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=HM120120#HMC12012001

[Messenger]

Shep Cup

Lochinvar Art stitched up

[Showgrounds]

Couldn't lead, that's racing. Winner was a huge run.

[Messenger]

Phoenix Prince has contested 6 of this season's cups so far for
3 wins, 1 second, 1 third, 1 fifth

[gutwagon]

Great drive on Phoenix Prince. San Carlo needs to be driven with a sit. Our Uncle Sam was a big effort. Lochinvar Art only has itself to blame for not having any gate speed. Great race and big crowd.

[Messenger]

Hurricane wins Hamilton Cup
In this edition longer may have proved more exciting but then it would have been a very different field

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=HM120120#HMC12012001

[aussiebreno]

Would have thought there might have been some more vigour to lead from D Moran.

Two Country Cups in 2 days for Emma Stewart. Any word on HRV going with my original suggestion of the Emma Stewart Gift for the Country Cups final race at Melton???

[Showgrounds]

Stewards reported Lochinvar Art raced roughly in the score-up so that was the end of his chance of holding out Sicario. D Moran would not want to use too much vigour, the horse can fire up and not settle. The Qld Derby comes to mind.

[Danno]

Rome wasn't built in a day and Lochinvar Art's progress into the top level will happen at a similar "pace", he's a terrific horse, but so far he hasn't displayed Kryptonite proof qualities.

[Messenger]

Well the tough effort of Shelby Bromac to run second was the highlight of the Echuca Cup
while in the trotters (Crystal Bucket) it would be interesting to know who backed Stress Factor into $2.20 fav as watching the race you got the feeling his stablemate and winner Father Christmas would seem to be the stable's elect despite paying $13.30
Alford was entitled to hand up on the fav - having its first start for several months but the stablemate was certainly driven to win

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=EC070220#ECC07022009

[Showgrounds]

Would have thought Sicario reeling off a 55 last half around Echuca to win the Cup with a leg in the air was the real highlight, Kev.

[Messenger]

It is quick but I was hoping for a 2560m race not a 1200m
Old warhorse Stormfortheboys would have been 65m in front of him on the time he ran winning in 2017
I guess the draw somewhat ruined the chances of anyone taking it up to the fav

[Messenger]

$50k Terang Cup on Saturday night
We might have a couple below the required class
But there are a couple of stars among the 9
Should be interesting

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=TE150220#TEC15022001

[Showgrounds]

AG's White Socks has always raced against better horses than this lot.

[Messenger]

True but I think it will be interesting if Code Bailey can lead instead of death seating to AG like he had to at Ballarat and maybe produce something like he did at Bendigo

[Messenger]

Code Bailey was back to his awesome best

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=TE150220#TEC15022001

[Messenger]

Not part of the Country Cups/Championship but a good place to park this

Wedderburn has the Central Victorian Pacing Championship and Trotting Championship today
Two $25k races on what is only a 6 race program

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=WD160220

[Messenger]

Brilliant drive by Alford in the trot
He knew the horse would not handle leaving the fence for the death early and still managed to get off and win storming down the outside

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=WD160220#WDC16022007

[Messenger]

3yo Pacifico Dream broke the Wedderburn Tk Rec winning the Pacing Championship
(It was a gutsy effort by Monash to fight back for 2nd)

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=WD160220#WDC16022001

[Messenger]

Ararat Cup Friday night
Weather should be OK but they never seem to crack it for a nice balmy night

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=AR210220#ARC21022001

[Messenger]

While the Ararat Trotters Cup is over 2570m SS, the Pacing Cup is only over 2195m
Scheduled to go at 9.10, I hope there is no delay with the Newcastle Mile as that is set to go a mere 6 minutes beforehand

[Messenger]

In both the Cups the race was turned on its ear by the favourites galloping (whether it was their doing or not) and I wonder whether the the track was a contributor

[Messenger]

Kerryn Manning quinellaed the Boort Cup

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fields/race-fields/?mc=BT010320#BTC01032001

[Messenger]

Charlton Cups worth $60k combined today - how can they make that with no crowd
I wonder how the sponsors feel - no crowds for how long? could become a real sponsorship issue for all codes

[Messenger]

Only 6 horses in the Trotters Cup ruined it - single file crap, if you had known you were only getting 6 starters, a mile race might have seen more competitive racing