Thanks Kyle, I find that amazing. Mt William up the road from me has had 67mm (2.5") for July so far while Hamilton has not even had an inch - 17mm (3/4")Originally Posted by Amlin
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
BTW, here is what happens when the mobile has a problem. I still also remember the day the mobile went off the outside of the track at Kilmore and disappeared down the bank!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCcJPqMpBi0[/QUOTE]
Or This..
http://harness.hrnz.co.nz/gas/wa/r/i...rID&Arg=159892
I call and raise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2RgdQ1J3XQ
No mobile barrier dramas here but this is another one I have uploaded - a look back to the good (bad) old days of the trots in Victoria. Much has changed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF9FjWy03OM
Officially on Twitter (according to HRV) is due to state of the track, inclement weather and after both the HRV and club mobile could not gain traction. Decision made 20 minutes before the first.
Hi guys, very disappointing day to get 3 quarters of the way to Hamilton today to find out via a text message, half an hour after the fact, that the meeting was called off. Even more surprising given that the road in front of us had been dry all day! No idea why the track was so bad that they couldn't get the mobile on it but what is most disappointing was that it took the club and hrv so long to call the meeting off and the inept manner in which they communicated to trainers/drivers/owners.
Hi Nathan, I wonder whether the incredibly banked bends at Hamilton could prove a problem for a heavy vehicle like the mobile - there has got to be a lot of gravitational force pulling them down the track and if the surface is slippery they might have a problem. I doubt the mobile vehicle is 4w drive either. It would have to be the bends as I am sure any street car could drive up the straights after so little rain. Only thing I can think of when Hamilton has only had 3/4" of rain for the month (unless the track has had more than the weather station)
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Track surface material does play a part too apparently. Unsure of what kind of material they use at Hamilton but traditionally the light material (used on tracks with night racing) can go to slop in wet weather, whereas the black or grey material (unable to be used on night tracks as it makes vision too dark for TV) is better in the wet.
Have seen many meets on the white material called off over the years as the track goes like mud. But have also seen a case at Bendigo last year where the mobile slid in testing in very wet weather, yet the track was regraded over and over, and replacement surface applied, then it drained beautifully. I think there is a lot to be said for how the track is pre-prepared before raceday and what condition it is in when race morning arrives.
Like the old Moonee Valley - Hamiliton, Warragul, Ararat, Melton are all listed as granitic sand (as are most tracks) while Stawell and Horsham are bluestone dust
ps Would love to hear from anyone connected to the track about how much rain they had had as the town had bugger all for the first 10 days of the mth
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Hi Kev, the problem won't have been the bends but more that the mobile wouldn't have been able to get traction as it accelerated away from the field. The only possible reason I can think of, given the apparent lack of rain, is that the track had been top dresssed with new material in the days leading up to the meeting and any rain on it would have made it slippery. The issue I have is that the club would have (or at least should have) been aware that this was a possibility and made the call the day before the meeting. The meeting could then have been transferred to another track at least and dozens of owners, trainers and drivers wouldn't have wasted time and money filling vehicles and driving to the track only to find out 30 minutes before the first race that the track was no good!
That has to be it Nathan and you are so right about the club surely being in a position to make the call the day before so the meeting could have been transferred.
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
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