Dominatin

[candykisses]

Cassie,
Your inference Lettucerocku must be on drugs because it won by a big margin whilst others only won by a short margin. Smoken Up only won the Inter by a short margin....

SORRY I thought you refered to Smoken Up's Miracle Mile Wins when you was trying to ridicule my Dad's observation of horses that have had controversy over drugs.

[racefair]

Murray thanks for your thoughts. But quite frankly you are very wrong. This process of restructure harness racing is going through at the moment is not about growing an already cash strapped industry. It is about reducing its size and increasing its quality. Harness racing in nsw is once again going to be the strongest in the country. It is about attracting quality from the other states. The last thing that harness racing needs is more substandard nsw bred horses racing for $2000 at bankstown. We can sit back and pick off the best interstate and NZ horses.

If you think harness racing needs hundreds of weekend warrior trainer drivers all fighting like seagulls to a chip to the dregs of the prize money left behind by the big few you are kidding it is the recipe for coruption.

The future of harness racing in nsw is to attract the best from interstate in horses, trainers, and drivers and cull the rest. It is big, expensive, unprofitable and difficult to regulate.

The arrival of Luke 12 months ago only highlighted just how weak the nsw trainers were. Others have seen this and will soon follow.

Hi Andy,
Some of your points are really interesting. If this is the strategy and thought process at the top end of town, then it's really sad that they think the industry should be owned by a few. Like Rugby League, it was built by the "working man/woman" in Australia and should be for everyone. What is wrong with hobby trainers? The likes of horses like Gamechanger are prepared by hobby trainers. Why are they not good for the sport?
Drivers. Where are you going to get your "top 10" with only 20 stables in operation? Why specifically are (in your opinion) the majority of drivers in Sydney poor?
Trainers. You've noted that LM has highlighted how weak NSW trainers are. Please give me an example of where NSW can improve? Paul Fitzpatrick won multiple trainers premierships and now can't get near LM. Does he qualify for your top 20? Well if he does, then I hope that the other 18 can do a little better because at his success rate against LM, they are all going broke. You're sweeping generalisations are an insult and wrong.
Attracting Interstate Trainers. This is unlikely to happen if LM keeps on going at this rate. Why haven't they already come with the increased prizemoney around the corner? It's really simple Andy. They know that they aren't going to beat LM.

[aussiebreno]

SORRY I thought you refered to Smoken Up's Miracle Mile Wins when you was trying to ridicule my Dad's observation of horses that have had controversy over drugs.

When you was trying to be gangsta?
Oh, and you (or your father) was the one that bought up Smoken Ups positive in the ID....

[candykisses]

When you was trying to be gangsta?
Oh, and you (or your father) was the one that bought up Smoken Ups positive in the ID....

Sweet Dreams Brendan I've had enough Laughs for one knight .

[Danno]

Hi Andy,
Some of your points are really interesting. If this is the strategy and thought process at the top end of town, then it's really sad that they think the industry should be owned by a few. Like Rugby League, it was built by the "working man/woman" in Australia and should be for everyone. What is wrong with hobby trainers? The likes of horses like Gamechanger are prepared by hobby trainers. Why are they not good for the sport?
Drivers. Where are you going to get your "top 10" with only 20 stables in operation? Why specifically are (in your opinion) the majority of drivers in Sydney poor?
Trainers. You've noted that LM has highlighted how weak NSW trainers are. Please give me an example of where NSW can improve? Paul Fitzpatrick won multiple trainers premierships and now can't get near LM. Does he qualify for your top 20? Well if he does, then I hope that the other 18 can do a little better because at his success rate against LM, they are all going broke. You're sweeping generalisations are an insult and wrong.
Attracting Interstate Trainers. This is unlikely to happen if LM keeps on going at this rate. Why haven't they already come with the increased prizemoney around the corner? It's really simple Andy. They know that they aren't going to beat LM.

spot on Jett,
there is no win for anyone in closed market.

[Danno]

Danno,
You are right many strategies haven't been particularly successful, but is that the fault of the business gurus or is it just that harness racing is a damned hard sport to run.
I like your weakest link bit. Applies to just about everything imo. It's about strengthening the weakest link, not just getting rid of it.

Thanks Brendan,
I do not pretend to have all the answers to everything, however, my observations over a considerable time ( about 40 years), the various people appointed by the various NSW Governments have ,in their each individual way, had an impact on the "game", some for the better ( though I can't remember who that was) and some for the worse.

there was a popular mantra in the business world a few years ago and it's still hanging around.....is this your core business? if not, let it go!. In some situations, at some times, that is definielty the way to go, but IMO it's an act of desperation... trying to salvage something is OK but what about the rest of your business?

I do not concurr that the harness racing prpoduct is that far gone we need to enclose it in a very small bedroom and hope it survives on love Our game isaving a bugger of a trot at the moment, but if the people who really believe in the sport can stick together ( which they have proven they can time and time again) we will come out the other side.


LET'S FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES....for the sake of our game.

Cheers

Dan

[Greg Hando]

murray thanks for your thoughts. But quite frankly you are very wrong. This process of restructure harness racing is going through at the moment is not about growing an already cash strapped industry. It is about reducing its size and increasing its quality. Harness racing in nsw is once again going to be the strongest in the country. It is about attracting quality from the other states. The last thing that harness racing needs is more substandard nsw bred horses racing for $2000 at bankstown. We can sit back and pick off the best interstate and nz horses.

If you think harness racing needs hundreds of weekend warrior trainer drivers all fighting like seagulls to a chip to the dregs of the prize money left behind by the big few you are kidding it is the recipe for coruption.

The future of harness racing in nsw is to attract the best from interstate in horses, trainers, and drivers and cull the rest. It is big, expensive, unprofitable and difficult to regulate.

The arrival of luke 12 months ago only highlighted just how weak the nsw trainers were. Others have seen this and will soon follow.

tiny you haven't got a clue what keep's harness racing going. Thank christ your not running the industry.

[candykisses]

OK then. I know I said don’t expect me to reply, but I did not say I would not reply, so here goes just for you Cassie.

At no stage did I say any names that you mentioned could not compete. What I said was that Luke was out training and out driving everyone at the moment and that if they wanted to be competitive then they would have to lift there game.what a cowardice retreat, you certainly did mention these trainers along with hundreds of other very good horseman when you said Luke was out training and driving everyone down there, What a pathetic insult to these champion trainers to suggest they would have to lift their game to compete with Luke Please go back and read my post again and you will see this is what I said. Don’t go misrepresenting what I have said to suit yourself. I never take what anyone achieves lightly. I respect anyone who is willing to have a go in life and with the names you have mentioned, [B]I hope one day that I can achieve some of the results that they have[/. Wait till I get my Violin out But the game has changed again and people need to change with it otherwise they go stale.[CNo one is arguing that the game has changed ,but they are questioning what has bought about the change OLOR="purple"][/COLOR] So having some flesh blood in Luke is going to be great for your industry.

Now I have no doubt that out of the names that you listed that a number of them will rise to the challenge that Luke has issued. But this will take a while for them to do.[COLOR What you mean they wont achieve these results as quick as Luke ?="purple"][/COLOR] They will need to find better horses and start to change their training programs. It all takes time[COLNot for some="purple"][/COLOR]. The same thing happened in Qld when Vic Frost first moved up here. No one could beat his horses, but after a while stables started to close the gap on him until they caught up with him. What Vic did was to raise the bar and everyone had to lift there game to compete. Then McCarthys started to dominate the sport here, then it was the Dixons. What Luke is doing is raising the bar, now some people will respond to that challenge while others will sit on their hands and whinge that it is not fair. For those people I have no time for them. They can continue to sit in the corner and rock themselves to sleep while calling out Lukes name. What are they going to do when the next big name stable arrives in town. Cry poor again and say these people have no right to be there as you are doing to Luke, or is it a case that you can come but you have to lower your standard to match ours. Harness Racing is a business and no matter what business you are in, [B]there will always be a couple of players who dominate.
[COLOR="purple"Totally agree the better pros with their better horses and bigger numbers will always rise to the top ,but it is when those that have always been at the top suddenly are no longer in the hunt that you have to ask why.][/COLOR]
As for your comment about the punter who was booing Luke. Well I guess you would have to have been there to see it, otherwise it seems a bit strange that a winning punter would be booing the horse he backed. How lucky for you he was standing right behind you. Almost seems to convenient to me I suppose I could have imagined it along with the 10 or so others that heard his rant. But as I said guess you had to be there. and I was

Good luck to Luke. I hope he continues on in such a strong manner as the industry needs some positive stories to tell. It is a shame that some people are willing to try and bring him down to their low levels of achievements.I think I"M gunna have to get the Violin out again. But I guess that is why it is called the tall poppy syndrome.

[

[mightymo]

[

Think of the 20 best(both in ability and in terms of grade) new horses that have reached NSW shores in recent times and you will proably find that Luke has received almost every one of them.

Franco Jamar and Arctic Fire for example both came to Luke straight after the Breeders Crown as Metro maidens. Blind freddy could have had them winning their first few starts. As it turns out, Arctic won 4 out of 7 and Jamar 7 out of 9.

Theres 11 races that I dare say could have been won by those 2 horses no matter who trained them

[aussiebreno]

Think of the 20 best(both in ability and in terms of grade) new horses that have reached NSW shores in recent times and you will proably find that Luke has received almost every one of them.

Franco Jamar and Arctic Fire for example both came to Luke straight after the Breeders Crown as Metro maidens. Blind freddy could have had them winning their first few starts. As it turns out, Arctic won 4 out of 7 and Jamar 7 out of 9.

Theres 11 races that I dare say could have been won by those 2 horses no matter who trained them

Mate Arctic Fire was a plodder of the highest degree. just joking