Sprint lane debate once and for all!!!!

http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia...roduced-in-NSW

More coming your way

Just watch the Breeders Crown heat with fav Zee Dana handing up to 2nd fav Code Black, knowing he had a Golden Ticket for the home straight
I'm afraid I cannot get over sprint lanes - they stink
(and No, I had no interest in the race)

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-re...ic#SPC04081507

You have Breeders Crown semis without a sprint lane and then run the finals with a sprint lane - that's not confusing

David Murphy disqualified for thinking Ballarat should have a sprint lane ;)

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-re...ic#BAC01091505

The Be Good Johnny Sprint - another race destroyed by the sprint lane. If that is considered exciting (I don't know what race Chris Barsby was calling/watching) then there is little chance of our sport surviving.
I don't think mile racing on small tracks should have more than 8 in the field, you then might have most runners with some chance under the right circumstances but I cannot say I am a big fan of mile racing

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-re...ld#APC10101501

Backed "Pay Me Quick" in R5 GP last night....lost my money because the horse got burnt off at the start and then had no further opportunity to win the race!!!...guess I need to revise my betting strategies or better still,dont bet on horses that could get locked in.

You succinctly illustrate the other side of the coin Big K. It is why sprint lanes came into existence. Unfortunately we suffer when compared to the gallops as they seemto have less of this problem due to the fact that ridden horses are more manoeuverable (shorter), don't always hold a perfect line in the straight and many of their racecourses have very long straights

Race 2 at Melton, The EK Bray Cup is an example of what is equal worst thing about Sprint Lanes - BORING racing

http://www.harness.org.au/meeting-re...ic#MXM07051606

I suppose if a driver takes on the leader to put the fave 3 fence, he risks the wrath of the stewards for the majority of the times it is not going to come off

(the other worst is of course the fact that nobody should be gifted a run)

I should probably be waiting until after the races have been run but I was thinking after the barrier draws whether at least 3 of the Crown finals (R4-6) would have been interesting/tactical without a sprint lane

Yep, I should have held my tongue R4&6 were driven as if there was no Sprint lane consolation prize. Undoubtedly R5 would have been different without the SL - the fav and the winner would have been desperate to get off the inside early but the sprint lane has not detracted from the racing so far today