That ‘other staff’ was Rhys Harrison, general manager of integrity who has been in the position for 2ish years.
That ‘other staff’ was Rhys Harrison, general manager of integrity who has been in the position for 2ish years.
Replying to a question it was suggested by Matthew that cancelled meetings like Terang and Swan Hill had to do with how far trainers were prepared to travel for $4k races
He said Swan Hill was a good track but suggested that not many horses are stabled within 50k of the track (Hmm 50k is just a trip to the corner shop for Harness people)
Standing starts were raised by a couple of attendees but it would seem to me that they are pretty set on the fact that they produce reduced turnover. Matthew in mentioning about other alternatives, referred to the benefit seen by LTF drawing the 2nd line in the Hunter Cup, seemed to be suggesting IMO that there may be a role for PBD's over RBD's
They reiterated that the Board has not made a decision on our Melton asset in terms of Moonee Valley
but I was not the only one watching that got that vibe.
I also think that it rings true as we would be somewhat a minor partner in MV and that is all the equity that the government are likely to give us in regard to our Melton stake - remember 2019 legislation made it that the government can keep ALL the sale of the asset and they have just been kind to us during covid in letting us draw down on any pretend equity we have in Melton (not that any/many knew this until Matthew Isaacs spilled the beans after his appointment as CEO)
The industry participants needs to consider the MV option carefully as opposed to maybe a 'track only' Melton or even no metro base etc etc etc as this will be the last roll of the dice
Thanks Carol, you guys know heaps more than I do - I am just a retiree who lives in Halls Gap who has been prepared to keep this forum available for fans (by available, I just mean as sole moderator)Quote:
Originally Posted by Yabbie
You can watch the Melton Roadshow presentation here
https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/art...tainment-park/
The last Roadshow is at Shep on Thursday
There is a rumour going around that the Shep club is in a heap of trouble - it could be an interesting meeting
I wonder whether HRV are truly aware of what communities are interested in harness racing
Here is a snip from the Wimmera/Mallee's Weekly Advertiser
Have a look at how much coverage harness gets
We had 7 Nutrien Classic heats for 2yo's and 3yo's at Melton today
The Stewart stable won all of them - in fact they quinellaed most of them
Can HRV see a problem here? A hint could be that not one of the races managed an 8 horse field
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...s/?mc=MX040425
Gosh , that is remarkable.
Following the roadshows, Harness Racing Victoria will:
- Introduce national ratings’ concessions for two and three-year-olds from July 1
- Re-purpose prizemoney allocations to avoid all-$4000 meetings from July 1
- Finalise the calendar to run 390 race meetings in FY26, with $35 million in participant returns
- Continue to consult with industry about opportunities to return to Moonee Valley
- Co-host national rating forums this winter to help shape changes from January 1
- Return the Mildura Pacing Cup to a Saturday night in 2026
https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/art...e-and-renewal/
The first point is not a way forward. All you need do is look at Wagga where 3yo's win something in the order of 70 to 80% of the races they can compete in against older horses.
In my view, that is a terrible objective