I love the traditional format as it stands right now at GP, three (3) heats within a week, then a week to the Grand Final.
The toughest horses survive the battles to get the Final, the one who thrives - wins!
If Menangle want to change, make it a run off of potentially three (3) heats of fields of ten (10) during the one (1) day. (30 total entries)
The first three (3) from each running the final (Grand Final field of nine (9), similar in concept to that of the Little Brown Jug. What an action packed day that would be!
If 3yr old's can do it for the 'Jug', no reason why a tough, seasoned GC performer can't here?
Last edited by Old Frank; 02-22-2012 at 09:09 PM.
It's a great idea Nathan...but unfortunately I reckon by & large our GC horses would all but fall apart if they were asked to go 3 race speed trips in a single day. They're not trained that way & they're not used to racing that way. If enough $ was offered I guess you'd get starters. It would take a fair bit of promo.
Originally Posted by Triple V
Two trips brother.
The first three (3) from each heat (3 heats of 10 runners) make a 9-horse final.
This way, each runner in their respective heat is absolutely doing their 100% best as the one-heat they get is fundamentally their one-shot deal to make the final.
The second three (3) from each heat (placed 4-6) make a 9-horse consolation type final.
Three (3) $100,000 heats, a $200,000 consolation final and a $1m Grand Final would attract them all. Anyone with a GC level horse that say's they wouldn't race are telling porkies.
I reckon with promo it would be an outstanding concept.
Last edited by Old Frank; 02-22-2012 at 10:06 PM.
Instead of changing the format of the ID why don't you pitch the whole concept as a completely new event.
I reckon you are on to something Nathan
YES,I.D. to stay the same and then something NEW,now wouldn't that be unusual?
Instead of a marketing guru/self appointed agent for change taking a time honoured product and destroying it completely,use a bit of imagination (unknown quantity with this mob) and promote something NEW and DIFFERENT.
Have to agree prefer the traditional model of the Interdominion, 3 rounds of heats and final a week later in the one location. Next they will be running the Derbies over a thousand metres.
Knock , knock , HRNSW / Menangle Club , anyone home????
Your new ID concept is utter nonsense and condemned by all sides of the industry. Is this stupid idea set in stone or will any sanity somehow, some way prevail? Just because other states or NZ have no money to conduct a REAL GENUINE Interdominion , you believe you can put forward any proposal at all that would be accepted , because no-one else could afford to do so.
You are attempting to destroy harness racing tradition with this half baked "trendy" idea. Don't try and pretend this is an "Interdominion", it most certainly is not. Retire the name and all the fabulous memories that have gone with it over such a long time.
HRNSW / Menangle Club you top your "brilliant" thinking off with a 14 horse 3000 metre so-called ID "grand final". Cloud cuckoo land!
Call your new "dog's breakfast" concept some other name . It's no "Interdominion."
Ah, got that off my chest , now it's bedtime ZZZZZZZZZ.
Last edited by David Summers; 02-23-2012 at 02:44 PM.
Doesn't that feel better David? You should do that more often. Time to retire myself.
I'm making three trips to Perth in a fortnight. If I had the leave I'd of taken the whole two weeks off and put a few K more into the local economy. I love the Interdominion in it's proper format and I'll travel to see it. They should have it in Perth every year and quit messing with it.
The problem in Sydney unlike Perth is if I was travelling from interstate to take in the Interdominion for a week or two where do I stay and what do I do ? Menangle is in the sticks. I live in Paddington, I've been to Menangle twice and it's taken me 2 hours each time to get there. Hence the reason for the heats being anywhere and everywhere and just the one big night of racing.
There's nothing unique about a 3000m race with 14 runners. The final prizemoney is dropping 250K as well.
Thanks Brad.
Agree, leave the ID as is, however my version (again pretty much the format of the Little Brown Jug) becomes your Twenty20 of Harness Racing, all action packed in one day which ultimately is the battle all sports administrators have in this day and age keeping fans attention for long periods.
I've heard trainers also gripe about being away for long periods involved with the ID and effecting their stables back home, so what do they do? Look after the good horse and it effects their other owners horses?
We might have had 'Joe Janiack' type trainers in Harness in days gone by with a small team, but fundamentally one outstanding horse, however now it's big teams, big numbers, hence trying to find a format that works for all.
The ID format proposed by Menangle is a complete and utter joke - disgraceful.
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