Get to Stawell to enjoy the Australia Day holiday

[Messenger]

A nine race program kicking off at 1.18 and finishing about 6
Stawell is the sunshine capital of Victoria but Monday should be a mild-warm beautiful 23°
Some of you Melton residents are only 2hrs away - enjoy a drive up country and see some old time harness racing, where you do not need binocs to see what is happening in the back straight
Admittance is always free and with petrol so cheap there is no better time to visit

http://www.harness.org.au/fields.cfm?mc=SW260115&fromstate=vic

(Messenger, inspired by Kyle :D)

[codywinnell]

Well played Kevin! Sounds like a great meeting.

[Messenger]

I have just come back from picking up the local paper and there is a full page colour ad (plus another full page about the day)
so I had better mention that it is a big event day with
- vouchers
- band
- pony trots
- jumping castle, go karts, show bags, face painting

The Vic Govt has even kicked in $5k through the Raceday Attraction Program

(for lovers of both codes book some accommodation and go to the Great Western Cup on the Sunday - a TAB meeting to be televised on Sky 2 this yr for the first time ever)

[Amlin]

And for those who can't make it Monday I'll be at Geelong Sunday (at this stage)


Pity they still don't show drive-in movies in the middle at Stawell anymore, they could have made it a double feature.

[gutwagon]

I will be there. I hear that their track will finally be rebuilt this year. And about time. Maybe then they will get some better horses to come and race there.

[Messenger]

I will be there. I hear that their track will finally be rebuilt this year. And about time. Maybe then they will get some better horses to come and race there.

Are we really. Why don't we just amalgamate with all the gallops tracks and race on grass.
Big tracks offer no point of difference - not that we have been smart enough to sell what we had
Talking to an old bloke who had not followed racing or been for years - you should have heard him reminisce about the showgrounds - all pretty much about how close you were to the action

[Adaptor]

Does it make sense to rebuild Stawell? Ararat is not far away and has a similar half-mile track, so they are both very limited. Horsham is not far the other way and has a bigger track...are three in close proximity needed?
Kev...you live in the area...what's your thinking?

[gutwagon]

I think we need them all Noel. You could say Bendigo, Marybourough, Kilmore, Sheparton and Echuca all too close but nobody wants to close any of them.

[Amlin]

10 years ago V3 suggested a merger of the two but still nothing. Mind you it mentioned a lot else that did not happen too.

Based on what happened at Warragul, those at Stawell won't know themselves with a recambered track.

It is interesting though as a decade ago these small tracks and clubs were seen as the disease that was going to kill our sport. Still waiting!

[Messenger]

Does it make sense to rebuild Stawell? Ararat is not far away and has a similar half-mile track, so they are both very limited. Horsham is not far the other way and has a bigger track...are three in close proximity needed?
Kev...you live in the area...what's your thinking?

Sorry, I am late getting back to you Noel.
The Stawell Club/complex is very central to town and seems fairly prosperous to me so there is no way you mess with something that is working. The TAB, Pokies and dining draw people
The Ararat club has lights and potential 'showgrounds' atmosphere which should be utilized by having mostly night meetings in the warmer months
Horsham has the population but I do not see it translated into attendance numbers and I think the lack of a dining facility was a big mistake. Of course it shares with the gallops but it seems more of a TAB and pokies venue

[gutwagon]

There was a good crowd at Stawell on Monday , they even had a bookie on course. The club did a huge job promoting the meeting. Pitty Sky put them on Sky2 witch would have hurt the turnover. And the HRV supplied time board failed to work all day, so we had no times or numbers.
Still had a good day.

[Messenger]

Thanks for the report Rick, I had visitors and could not make it