[G"day Grant,QUOTE]Of course money should be the criteria. Group races should be won by the best horses in the country.[QUOTE
I can see quite easily the point Ron is making and his opinion is that $$$$ should not be the ONLY criteria, and I whole heartedly agree, on the one hand you say Group races should be open to all horses and on the other it's about $$, so what is it?
The Australian Pacing Gold has group status, has big $$, but isn't open to all 2yo's , so should it be afforded group status??
The Maitland Intercity pace is open to all C2 to C4 horses, and is one of the biggest prizemoney races for this grade of horse in Austalia and attracts the elite horses in that grade year after year, sure it's not $100K and I can see the point that you, Triple and Harvey are making about some age classics having sub par prizemoney, but if the powers that be in that state haven't got the backing or cabbage to offer 100k plus should the people training/breeding and competing in their state get a double wammy by having their classics downgraded? I think it must be tough enough for our colleagues in SA as it is, so personaly I'd rather see them get some support to lift their prizemoney on these races from the other states than getting shafted.
and I wholeheartedly agree with Ron's sentiments about what has happened to the interdominion, its an unfortunate fact that our society has become more like the septics in regard to "whoever has the gold makes the rules", that was never a popular way to conduct ourselves years ago but unfortunately those days are gone the god almighty dollar holds sway and just don't try and get in it's way or you'll get trampled.
Cheers,
Dan
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