Silly me forgot it is Stawell's Australia Day meeting so there will be some entertainment other than harness
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Silly me forgot it is Stawell's Australia Day meeting so there will be some entertainment other than harness
No wonder Maryborough day meet wont finish much before 7pm tomorrow
4 races have 40 minutes between them
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...23#MHC27022307
The majority of the races at Stawell on Monday have 40mins between them. It is hardly action-packed entertainment. If they had 20mins between races you would be home 2hrs earlier!
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...s/?mc=SW060323
When is the Vic Racing Calendar going to come out - we have nothing past June!
July is only 4mths away
Tomorrow we have the Geelong Rocket worth $24,000 followed by three $4,500 races
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...s/?mc=GE100323
At least/last the Australian Feature Race Calendar is outQuote:
Originally Posted by Messenger
https://www.harness.org.au/media-roo...?news_id=60331
Two 1200m races at Melton tonight. If they become a regular, I might be rethinking my codes.
I don't find them as interesting as a gallops 1200m
We already have an increase in trots races which I don't always watch
I was thinking about why I don't always watch the trots
Early days when a young punter, I found them too unreliable.
Now that is not a factor but I think it is because there is less action in a trot
How often do you see a trotter go from last to first in a mid race move.
I quite like watching backmarkers trying to make up a handicap in stand starts
Well Queen Elida ran a 3rd Q tonight that was every bit as good as a first to last move - when she is on song she is exciting
I cannot understand why Hamilton is not starting until 1.33 today and thereby not finishing until 5.38+
It will just about be dark by then
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...23#HMC01052302
30mins between last at Hamilton and first at Swan Hill. Continuity in the raceday. Get a few dollars from the knock off and go the pub crowd, or others watching after work is finished for the day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Messenger
I am serious about it being dark here before 6pm
It's 5:25 at my place and twilight is setting in. A tough call for the racecaller at Hamilton.Quote:
Originally Posted by Messenger
The pics we see are of course enhanced but he did mention when they were moving up that it was getting dark and the lights on the semaphore board are a good indicator. I am about an hour North and it was really quite dark very early today - before 5
I knew it was Horsham trots on Monday so I just looked up the fields to see if I would postpone my shopping until then BUT once the better races begin, it is 40mins between races so the answer is NO
Despite there being a gap of 39mins and 38mins, tonight's Melton card will be all over a little after 9.15 - it makes sense for attendees and participants driving home at this time of the year
Two gaps of 42mins and another of 40 even have a local tossing up attending Stawell on Monday
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...s/?mc=SW290523
Take out the race and the horses warming up and pulling up and you still have 30mins of NOTHING
which is the problem with harness racing. It's just so BORING for spectators. I always thought make the max time between races 20minutes and have the industry body hire a person or two who can go around and help trainers gear their horses/cart them/wash them etc if they have horses in consecutive races and if there's a stewards enquiry with a driver in the previous race, have a warm up driver on hand. Wouldn't cost much extra and gets things ticking along quickerQuote:
Originally Posted by Messenger
Great points IMO Katie
They will tell us it is about fitting in with Sky
(and that spectators are not even a consideration nowadays)
If a NSW meet has times 12:00 12:40 1:20 2:00 2:40 3:20 4:00 4:40 5:20Quote:
Originally Posted by Messenger
and Vic meet has times 12:20 1:00 1:40 2:20 3:00 3:40 4:20 5:00 5:40
Surely the NSW meet could do 12:00 12:20 1:00 1:20 1:40 2:00 2:20 2:40
And the Vic meet could do 3:00 3:20 3:40 4:00 4:20 4:40 5:00 5:20 5:40
With a bit of mixing and matching and profit redistribution to allow for some times are better to race at than others. At least a trial to see overall impact. Does get a bit harder with night meets telling one meeting they start at around 8:00 and would be pretty hard during summer when our 1st evening race isn;t until after 6pm (pushing 2nd meeting back to 9pm start which doesn't work).
You are a clever cookie Brendan
Its value of course is all about attendance - are our administrators interested?
It would be an interesting experiment if the 2 states could agree to a trial run.
The thing is that it would have to be a day when there is the potential to attract a crowd
When would that be a chance? Friday twilight/evening, Saturday twilight/evening. Or are these times when people are not as fussed about time between races as they are winding down
We have 43 minutes between races at Maryborough today - is that a record :confused:
The whole program is a dog's breakfast with the following gaps
27 31 36 39 34 43 34 41 29
Compared to 30 minutes between all races - today you are going home 44 minutes later!
The programmers and Sky are killing us :mad:
not sure how far Emma Stewart is from Maryborough but she was in the first and last race. - edit: Had a look and it's about an hour so not so bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Messenger
Those types of days really really take it out of the horses and staff. One night we were in the first and last race at Gloucester Park with nothing in between on an 11card program. Our little 2yo was having one of her first starts and it was a 3hr drive to Perth so she was away from home for something like 11 hours.
Surely by now, field selectors could set race times to group a trainer's starters together. It wouldn't happen every meet but you'd think they could make it a consideration.
Tonight's Melton meet has bigger gaps than normal and the times are all over the place
We are being treat like beggars - take it or leave it
When are we going to make a stand
Saturday night harness should be on the half hour
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...s/?mc=MX100623
11.12 am R1 Maryborough this morning seems a strange time to be running a 'metro quality' race. I know there are only 6 starters but 4 of them are city class horses
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...23#MHC30062301
So the above race ended up holding $2,666 Win and $2,954 First Four
A comparable race from last Saturday was the 5 horse R3 which held $5,913 Win and $14,409 First Four
Yes, one is Saturday but the 11am Friday morning is the point I am making
The last race at Mary at 4.38 held $10,106 Win and $6,506 First Four. It was a bigger field than R1 but I think R1 could still have come close to that better placed
(The above figures are Vic TAB only)
This has to be the worst ever.
40 mins between every race at Stawell on Sunday bar the last
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...s/?mc=SW160723
There is no other harness on interstate to help kill the time - are they trying to drum up business for the pokies (but I do know the club wouldn't have any say in it)
1200m racing - I am reserving my judgement on it as I have seen it produce more interesting racing but is anywhere else in the world racing over shorter than a mile?
https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/art...ust-at-melton/
They might as well bring back Monte racing for all the good that 1200 metre sprints will do.
Steve, I have seen some advocating bringing back Monte racing for the interest it creates (if my memory is correct, Chris Lang for one)
My first thoughts/posts (going back a couple of years) ridiculed the notion of 1200m racing - they were to appease the TAB/Sky and take less time. Of late, I have had to admit that some of the races have been more interesting than most 1720m races
This wasn't really intended IMO - just a fluke. A bit like the Blues having Silvagni and Motlop in the team last week :)
On the 1200m racing
https://www.thetrots.com.au/news/art...-says-hrv-ceo/
It is good to hear from the CEO !
I hope it appeals to a new audience - we will have to see it reflected in turnover
I still think it is about making our races quicker (less of a footprint on Sky)
PP has pointed out that this is NOT why the greyhounds turnover is up But rather that they are running twice as many races!
Think of the big/time lengthy gallops races - Cox Plate, Melbourne Cup etc etc
Shorter races will definitely help with getting an audience who don't like the boring 60-90 seconds in middle section of 2100-2200m trots when nothing happens. Still a fan of more racing though. 9 race cards are better than 7 race cards etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Messenger
Melbourne Cup is once a year. Rest of the year the gallops barely have races over 2000m+. Typical card 90% of races 1600m or less. Also - have a look at the rise of 1200m Everest and decline of Melbourne Cup in recent years.
I am often complaining about the time between races but a lot of the time it has to be a long day for trainers/drivers
I saw Aaron Dunne had 3 in at Mildura today.
For a start it is 3½ hrs from Horsham to Mildura
He had one in R1 before midday, so he would have had to get there at 11am
He did not have his next until R5 at 3pm so even with gearing up and gearing down, he would still have had 2hrs to kill - a long lunch maybe?
Then his third starter was in R10 at 5.25 so once again well over an hour to kill - I wonder what is on offer for afternoon tea at Mildura?
It could have been worse, his third starter could have been in R12 which would have added a further hour onto his day
At least it is a day meet but he would have been up at dawn, left for Mildura before 7.30am and won't be home till probably 9.30pm
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...s/?mc=ML210723
Good to see that Aaron won R10 - that would have improved the drive home
We are now accepting 4 horse races
Look at the trot - R3 Melton on Saturday night
Admittedly we have got 4 good trotters in it
But the only way the race has stood up is by Brent Lilley putting an NR58 and a NR64 in a NR80+ race
Because he has his champ Queen Elida as favourite
Maestro went around at YV today in a NR52+ and could only manage 4th - he definitely does not belong in the above race
He doesnt belong but how many NR80+ trotters currently in training in Victoria? Makes it hard for the NR100+ to get a race. Just another reason we should get rid of the trots!
Also how many people have whinged about lack of mares opportunities and we get 6 in a mares FFA for good prizemoney.
Looking for an outing tomorrow, I got excited to see it is Horsham trots tomorrow but that quickly dissipated when I saw that the time between races is often as not 40mins - I have not got that much time to waste
Can we afford to program races for inexperienced trotters at Melton on a Saturday night?
The start of R4 was a disgrace and would be a real turn off for those who had not seen it all before
Tickets torn up for 4 of the 9 after 100m
Why start Maryborough at 1.17 today, resulting in the last not being until 6.27
No doubt to do with some betting theory
https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...24#MXM27042401
The best race on Saturday night's Melton program is in slot 1
Many of the same horses were also placed in the R1 slot last week but due to the Nutrien Finals they may not have considered the best race of the night by many (although they were the best performed horses)
It is obviously all about the punt and with a 5.30 start time - trying to piggyback onto the gallops
I guess admin would know if it pays off. I wonder whether 5.30 still attracts the same amount of 'harness punters'.
Attendances no longer seem to be a consideration or else you are not going schedule it this way for although I always get there very early when I go (I have a long way to come, so it is not just a night out event when I do), I am thinking getting there at 5.15 is not what many 'rusted ons' are used to