Being controversial here but if winning punters is our lifeblood how much damage does an effort like Adore Me's do?
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
I'd say a lot of damage Kev. Tickets confetti at the start! I'm sure there are people that believe, that if a horse stuffs up from no fault of its own at the start, bad luck. What happens when multiple horses stuff up at the start, and wipe out half the field? Either way, it's not a smart move when the risks are so high at the start IMO.
The recent HRA Wagering Report recommended that they be phased out but good luck with getting the participants to agree with that. Probably a case for stands for trotters but they gallop if you look sideways at them anyway.
Is the issue with pacers the lack of regular racing now? Our biggest event for the season is a stand, but outside of Country Cups, you don't see many year round to give horses the regular opportunity to get it right.
There was always usually an M0 Hcp or an M1 or better stand at MV on a Saturday night. 14 runners, wide open betting, keen, last man standing contests. And the horses were trained and educated for it.
Not saying they aren't now but you hardly see pacers from the tapes at the trials except to qualify. And the trotters that go around are in fields of four which enables them to qualify but doesn't give them the practise in a field of say 10 or 12 horses all with individual quirks.
Remember the situation a couple of years back when Smoken Up failed to qualify for the Hunter Cup as he didn't satisfy in a suitable qualifying race?
Perhaps like the Melbourne Cup where we have very few opportunities for our own "bread and butter" horses to work towards a start in it over the year, then scratch our heads when the cash goes overseas.
What you say is true Kyle but on the other hand I do not think they should be going to the races for practice - I wonder whether they are being trained and educated as much.
Admittedly it is extremely unlikely that the All Stars team would neglect this so last night's race just goes to illustrate the more hit and miss nature of SS racing (I know we get the occasional Mobile gallop too)
Just from a marketing/punting perspective I wondered whether the mishap that a SS can produce is something we can afford esp if it happens in our biggest race and burns a lot of punters who have many alternatives.
Then again the doggies dodgem car races don't seem to put the punters off so what am I on about LOL
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Yes it is a difficult one - as an example the National Derby greyhound race last night was effectively over after 10 seconds when half the field scrambled over one another on the first corner. Just one of those things but I guess if you can avoid it (stands) then it's a different matter.
$126,000 STAB pool. Throw in NSW Pool, Tatts, TAB Fixed Odds and Corporates and conservative $500,000 wagered on the Hunter Cup. Given her odds a conservative $200,000 wagered on Adore Me.
How many more reasons do we need to abandon SS racing given Adore Me was a 'safe' option from the stand.
There was discussion on the forum during the week about walk up/stand starts and the inconsistency. It's inconsistent for different horses in the same race. Some better behaved ones have stood still and walk up 2m before tapes release, some worse behave horses and/or clever drivers get a 5m walk up and are ready to get into a trot/pace before the horse that stood nicely and only got a 2m walk up.
Some horses do the walk up and get left half a length or more behind still.
P.S Adore Me backer here. But I've had this opinion well before that.
50/50 Breno, I think there's Definitley a place for them as long as the very good horses are handicapped correctly.Originally Posted by aussiebreno
Last edited by Richard prior; 02-09-2015 at 06:58 AM.
hate them. Post #3 says it all.
Has anything been implemented as a result of this survey? It has been around for a little while after all.
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