Warragul track upgrade to proceed next week

[Messenger]

Hi Stephen, I will say one thing that Kyle may be reluctant to say - HRV are focused on the West/Central part of the state and being in the East, Warragul could consider a name change to 'Siberia'

[Toohard]

OK, it's good about the track upgrade but what has not changed is the long-standing issue at Warragul. Lack of numbers.

Five of the eight races next Monday have only seven runners. The trot races there always seem to have full fields though.

It would be interesting to hear from Kyle as to what he thinks the reasons are for this and what has/is being done to try and attract more starters to get full fields. You all know the lines (more competitive racing, increased turnover, etc).

Warragul is a great track to watch harness racing. It's out to the east of Melbourne. It's grown heaps out that way in the last 10+ years. Suburbs where farms used to be. Only access really is down the freeway. It's a car park at the best of times. With most of the harness trainers concentrated to the west and north of Melbourne it makes it a long and slow drive home. Hit town in peak hour, etc.

Some lights and some night meetings Kyle?

[Amlin]

Monday's meeting happens to fall on a building industry RDO which our meetings sometimes do so that may help the traffic situation but the trotting people aren't to know that when nominating I wouldn't think.


Stephen it is a continual source of frustration for our club. We can hope that the new track surface etc will generate some positive publicity and those who attend Monday will "spread the word"


I am reluctant to criticise those who co-ordinate our industry but I will make two points which I maintain are valid - one being the restricted meeting at Kilmore the night before. While it is debatable whether all of those horses would have instead gone to Warragul if no other option, you only need another 15 odd horses from that pool and you have capacity fields. I still can't work out why people line up to race a full field for $3000 but will not travel to run against six others for $6000 but this is not a new issue.


Secondly, most of the seven races programmed attracted around 14 noms, however two races didn't get the required six acceptances and therefore the rest of the races needed to be split to make up a program, hence 14 horse groups being halved into two events. It is hard to get eight races out of a seven race card at the best of times, let alone when noms are small.


To their credit HRV has in past years programmed Warragul's meetings in spots where there should be no excuse for people to avoid them - such as day after Breeder's Crown (non BC horses have to race somewhere), day after Redwood (pacers have to go somewhere), Easter Sunday (no racing Good Friday) etc.


It is better to have eight races than none at all but gee it is frustrating from a marketing and turnover perspective, and it does not show our club in a good light. The training centre establishment at Cranbourne has boosted horse numbers in the region a little (but mostly just seen trainers relocate to it from Croydon, Yarra Glen etc). If that facility runs at full capacity longer term then that will help. The number of meetings held by Warragul during 1996/1997 was 19 after the Traralgon club closed and its meetings relocated to Warragul - now it is 9. You can only imagine the damage that has done to the participants levels locally.


If the traffic is an issue, then as Kev said ideas such as night racing (unrealistic) or weekend events should be considered. If you are running a business and your customers stop coming in - you can do either one of two things: leave it as it is and hope it improves or get in and try to make changes to assist. The club looks forward to working with HRV to see what they will be doing to help us going forward now both bodies have made such a big captial investment.


In the meantime we would be happy to hear from people who have any thoughts/ideas on how to try and overcome this issue!

[Amlin]

Wednesday's program at Stawell has attracted 7 races and 60 horses. Turnover figures will be interesting on both the Monday and Wednesday cards considering field sizes.


Monday has no trots in NSW or QLD, and only two gallops meets (no second NSW or NZ meets), plus it is construction union picnic day so that might mean more punters in pubs etc, so in theory the holds off course on Warragul should increase. Of course field sizes have let us down, but I sincerely don't know what else the club can do when you have little control over what days you race and what program you run.

[Messenger]

It looked good on Sky Kyle. Jayne Davies would have been very pleased to have broken through for her first win for the season in the last. 3mths and around 50 starters must have seemed like an eternity for her

[Amlin]

Yes raced well Kev. First winner went 1:58.9 and its fastest ever mile rate is 1:57.9 around Menangle which is nearly twice the size of Warragul.


They went 1:58 in the second, and I think Chris Alford showed the track at its best in the last sweeping home down the centre of the track and defying the trend where nearly all other winners were left alone in front to do as they pleased courtesy of the small fields perhaps.


Chris proved if you time your run well enough you can still get 'em home on the small track.


Drivers were pleased with the quality of the surface and banking from all reports.

[Richard prior]

Really looked terrific on Tele Kyle and the banking is fantastic.

[barney]

Is it back to the Warragul i remember Ted Demmler used to dominate and was a leaders track.See yesterday most winners led all the way is this going to be the norm or just to track settles

[Amlin]

Maybe Barney or they might be still working out how to drive the track. The small fields don't make for much of a contest sometimes. Chris Alford defied the trend with a good drive in the last coming from mid field and finishing strongly out wide. That's what we hope to achieve with the track.


Here are a couple of comparison pics - first the old circuit and second the new.

[Messenger]

Using the kids slide as a point of reference, I thought the banking may have been more pronounced than that Kyle
]Found this good article about yesterday's meet
http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia...Warragul-track