Sprint lane debate once and for all!!!!

[Messenger]

one could argue that runners only run in lanes for sprint distances and that swimmers need lanes to guide them and stop interference (accidental or otherwise). As far as comparisons to other sports goes you have no doubt read my post which included cycling and gives an indication of how big an advantage another sport considers 'having a sit'.
How about I just put you down as a FOR sprint lanes

[aussiebreno]

Are Nathan Jack and Bill Trembath trained monkeys? Refer Musical Delight APG win and Distant Memory Vicbred win. Two of the best drives Ive seen. If you reckon Mindarie Priddy and other leaders unlucky what about Quick Draft last night, Christen Me and Beautude Vic Cup. Some barriers and racing positions are just luckier than others, unless we just make straight line tracks 12 horses wide, but then I suppose some losers will whinge about the wind draught.

[aussiebreno]

I'm not a fan of the sprint lane, but nor am I a fan of watching disgruntled punters saying " thats the last time I bet on the trots", so as a trainer/driver I dislike the FACT as Kevin points out, that the horse that has had quite possibly the softest run gets a "cheap shot" at the leader from only a length away in the dying stages of the race ( a VERY relevant aspect), people often over look the alternatives, like give the sprint laner a shot with a lap to go, or alternatively, at the 400m mark or thereabouts. Driving tactics and race results would alter dramatically!!!!

I do get annoyed with knee jerk reactions to the "disgruntled punter" as well.....do we see the Gallops constantly changing their game? No we do not, and they have left us for dead in the last twenty years or so. I remember very well when the push from our commercial breeders years ago for all mobile racing and how it would be a salve for disgruntled punters, many years later there are just as many horses missing the start and just as many disgruntled punters!!!!

The sprint lane is just another knee jerk reaction. that is my opinion. People need to inderstand you can't please all the people all the time, and therein lies the problem with knee jerk "fixes".

Cheers,
Dan

It's not just punters but keeping more horses in the game. What hope does a squib have as Greg puts it of winning a race? They draw crap they can't do work and win. They draw to lead, they use a sprint early and squibs don't have two sprints. They take a cosy sit, at least they can be a chance. It might not be as earnt, but it still keeps them in the game.

There's certain dominations in harness racing.
Cramp at Mildura
Tritton at Newcastle
Turnbull at Bathurst
McCarthy at Menangle
Hall at Gloucester Park
Painting at Wagga


Everyone complains about these dominations but its no surprise what these six tracks have in common. no sprint lane.

[Messenger]

Are Nathan Jack and Bill Trembath trained monkeys? Refer Musical Delight APG win and Distant Memory Vicbred win. Two of the best drives Ive seen. If you reckon Mindarie Priddy and other leaders unlucky what about Quick Draft last night, Christen Me and Beautude Vic Cup. Some barriers and racing positions are just luckier than others, unless we just make straight line tracks 12 horses wide, but then I suppose some losers will whinge about the wind draught.

Are you having a shot at me there Brenno? I am assuming you are talking about my reference to how seriously cycling considers wind draft - let me know if that is what you are referring to before I go any further

Of course some barriers are luckier than others - I just wonder why we had to change the rules and some tracks to ensure that the inside of the second line is one of the luckier ones?

[aussiebreno]

Are you having a shot at me there Brenno? I am assuming you are talking about my reference to how seriously cycling considers wind draft - let me know if that is what you are referring to before I go any further

Of course some barriers are luckier than others - I just wonder why we had to change the rules and some tracks to ensure that the inside of the second line is one of the luckier ones?

Nah mate, I mean the beaten brigade out on the racetrack. No personal attacks here.
Your point about the draft earlier just made me think if it as an example of a disadvantage in my hypothetical straight line racing idea. It does read like I was having a go at you but I'm not!

[Messenger]

Your stored messages is full again Rich

Life is good Brenno

[Richard prior]

All clear Kev, Thanks mate

[Big K]

For me its pretty simple,The moment you have a horse going to the line hard held and not getting a run is the moment the entire sport is going backwards.No "ifs or buts" in this day and age every horse needs to be on a loose reign up the straight getting an opportunity if it is travelling.All the punters in general know it and its the biggest detractor to our sport IMHO.Punters are the lifeblood of the industry and If I had my way every State would have a straight track to race on to takeaway some of the disadvantages that exist with our current tracks.Just my opinion.

[Messenger]

For me its pretty simple,The moment you have a horse going to the line hard held and not getting a run is the moment the entire sport is going backwards.No "ifs or buts" in this day and age every horse needs to be on a loose reign up the straight getting an opportunity if it is travelling.All the punters in general know it and its the biggest detractor to our sport IMHO.Punters are the lifeblood of the industry and If I had my way every State would have a straight track to race on to takeaway some of the disadvantages that exist with our current tracks.Just my opinion.

The emboldened is a pretty strong point Kev. You wouldn't need a straight track as a mile track with 400m of straight should surely be sufficient - not that I would attend such a track as TV viewing would be better. TV/internet viewing goes hand in hand with punting nowadays but you have to admit that straight racing eg Gallops straight 6f racing, looks bloody ordinary on TV

[Danno]

If you build a track built to exact specifcations of the "majority" of punters, regardless of it's suitability you will still have punters complaining.

Alcyone may be able to enlighten with some figures, but from my personal observations. the off course wagering Turnover at Menangle is significantly LESS than the 1/2 mile HP track, if this is correct that blows out of the water, the "track..sprint lane...horses getting locked up" arguement, the problem our game is facing is NOT the afformentioned but more about we have become unfashionable and more and more irrelevant to the punting public.

We need an answer to this problem, and the answer needs to be found very soon!