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I crossed over enemy lines today and went to Sandown gallops. It struck me how having the birdcage right in front of the winning post is integral to the theatre of the whole meet.
Which of our tracks have the parade ring front and centre?
Horsham is pretty close - out front but a little to the right of the grandstand
The issue I have with Sandown is that the "main" area is downstairs and you can't see the races.
All that upstairs bar/room area overlooking the course and it lies idle.
Should become our new metro home with the surplus land turned into housing when the gallops eventually sell it.
Cranbourne has a parade ring in front of the stand.
Kyle, you're right about the undulations of the front lawn making viewing frustrating but sitting in the front row of the stand directly above the birdcage - was fantastic
It would be an unbelievable metro trots home provided the track was not inside a motor racing circuit (and how could we afford it)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Messenger
It is a great course - but as I say would be even better if the bookies ring was upstairs!. The Melbourne Racing Club I believe owns the complex so I imagine if they sold it cars and horses would go. Enter a property developer like Mirvac - perhaps a partnership could be arranged.
- Excess land around the course could be developed into apartment style living like at Happy Valley
to create the second CBD the state government are currently looking for in Melbourne.
- Existing car parking could be leased to the railways with an upgrade of the existing station to a premium one to service extra patron growth
- Unused sections of grandstand could be redeveloped into commercial office space - government could relocate some departments to the site from the inner city
- Existing quarantine centre could be developed into a training/stabling facility
- Site already comes with substantial water supply
- Three main arterial roads already in close proximity, plus as mentioned rail access to the door in a huge growth area/established population.
All highly ambitious/unlikely but it's not every day you are presented with a parcel of land with a grandstand and horse stalls already built on it.
What a good question.....which Harness Racing Tracks have a pre-race parade ring that enables easy viewing of the upcoming competitors?
I think a good comparison would be with the Bendigo Jockey Club course at Epsom where a spacious, well grassed area right next to the course proper in front of the 3 stands provides easy viewing.
Compare: ( out of 10)
2. Ararat trots where the horses "parade" at the back of the stables and then go down the back to enter the track well away from spectators
2. Melton. If you didn't know that the parade ring is as far away from spectators as possible, you would never know it was there.
2. Ditto; Charlton, Wedderburn, Boort,
3. Maryborough...a bit more visible from the side of the admin block with an area with plastic blinds offering shelter
3. Bendigo would fit this as well, as no shelter, beside the grandstand.
4. Ballarat's a bit better with a view from the restaurant area possible, but the horses enter the track from a back path.
Actually, I can't think of a Victorian track where the Parade Ring is placed to attract spectator attention. Are there any??
Retro thought: The parade ring at the Melbourne Showgrounds was actually inside the track, on the grassed oval area.
Lack of a decent parade ring is not an Aussie conundrum: There are no parade rings at Yonkers , Feehold or Monticello in the US.
The Meadowlands has a "paddock" where horses are readied for their race in front of the grandstand, but it is only used on feature race nights like the Meadowlands Pace.